AJ's Game
by LolaB28
Summary: After being involved in a school shooting at Hercules, star girls basketball player Amber (AJ) is sent to Richmond High School looking to start over. After learning there is no girls basketball team, she becomes manager of the boys basketball team. Using her math and science skills to help the team, AJ seems to be okay, but the trauma still haunts her.
1. A New Start

**CHAPTER 1: A NEW START**

AJ was sitting in Principal Garrison's office with her mother, bored out of her mind. She was pretending to listen to her ramble on and on about how great the school is, but deep down, she didn't really care. If she had a choice, she wouldn't even be in school.

She watched Principal Garrison go through her file.

"I see that you were on the girls basketball team at Hercules. Unfortunately, not enough girls tried out for the team this year so we may have to cancel, but there are other extracurricular activities that you can take part in."

AJ rolled her eyes in complete uninterest, but Principal Garrison continued.

"Look, I know that you have been through a lot with the shooting, and the trial, but think of this as a new start, you have a bright future ahead of you."

"Yes, you do." Her mother said after her.

Principal Garrison was trying to get the attention of AJ, but there was no use.

"Why don't I show you around?"

"Do I really have to?" AJ asked while she pushed back her long curly hair.

"Yes. Yes you have to Amber," Her mother answered with a stern voice.

AJ rolled her eyes as they all emerged from their seat and followed Principal Garrison out of the office.

They immediately began walking down a hallway full of students hanging around their lockers and making their way to class. AJ was not impressed. The student body was basically the same as Hercules, a bunch of wannabe thugs and prissy girls who only want to chase boys.

"Hey, there's Kyra!" AJ's mom yelled.

AJ saw Kyra at her locker talking with a friend. She turned around to see her cousin and her aunt.

"Hi Aunt Michelle!" She greeted her with a hug.

"Hey AJ!" She also greeted her with a hug. "I heard you're gonna be comin' here."

"Yeah I start tomorrow." AJ said back trying to sound excited.

"Amber, why don't you stay with your cousin while me and your mother talk for a little bit." Principal Garrison suggested.

"Sure." AJ shrugged, anything to get away from Principal Garrison and her mother.

"C'mon I'll show you around." Kyra said as they walked further down the hall.

"We getting' ready to have lunch so you can kick it with us."

"Cool." AJ said back as they made their way outside, and sat at one of the tables.

"This is Dominique." Kyra introduced, "Dominique this is my cousin Amber but we call her AJ."

"Nice to meet you AJ." Dominique greeted.

"You too." AJ said back.

"I like ya nose ring!" Dominique cheered.

"So auntie tells me you was killin' it at Hercules playin' ball. You gonna play here?" Kyra asked.

AJ shrugged, "I was told there might not be a girls team so I don't know."

Kyra was about to answer but she was interrupted by a guy that approached her. He was accompanied by a shorter guy that was bald. She smiled and greeted him with a hug.

"AJ this is Kenyon, my boo Kenyon, this is my little cousin AJ."

"Hey, what's up AJ?" Kenyon greeted.

"Hey." AJ said back.

"So you aint gonna introduce me? Kyra, you rude!" asked the shorter bald guy that was with Kenyon.

Kyra rolled her eyes, "You don't need to know him."

"Excuse me." He turned his attention from Kyra to AJ, "but you do need to know me. My name is Worm, what's your name gorgeous?"

AJ wasn't impressed, she could easily tell this guy didn't have much luck with the girls and that he was a little bit arrogant.

"AJ." She simply answered.

Worm smiled, "Well AJ you look good as hell, but you know what would look even better on you?"

AJ rolled her eyes, "What?"

"Me!" Worm exclaimed while laughing.

"Worm! Leave my cousin alone! She don't want none of your mess!" Kyra yelled as she shoved him.

"I'm just tryna be friendly!" Worm yelled back.

"Thanks, but no thanks." AJ snarled.

"You rude too!" Worm said back.

AJ ignored Worm and looked around a little bit. She seen her mother signaling her that it was time to leave.

"My moms here. I'm gonna go."

"Ok." Kyra said as she hugged AJ. "What are ya doin' later?"

"Nothing." AJ answered. "Just unpacking some stuff with my mom."

"See if she'll let you go with us to the basketball game tonight." Kyra said.

AJ shrugged, "I don't know."

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Kyra cheered.

"I guess so." AJ answered.

"Ok, I'll meet you back here later."

"Ok cool." AJ answered back. "I'll talk to you later."

AJ left the group and made her way back to her mom and made their way out of the school.

"So what do you think?" Michelle asked.

"It's whatever I guess." AJ answered back. She was a bit annoyed with her mother asking a bunch of questions.

They continued walking through the parking lot, but Michelle stopped her as if she had something on her mind.

"Look Amber. I know you went through a lot with the shooting and the trial, but can we go into this with a positive attitude please?"

AJ sighed, "OK mom." She answered back.

"Cheer up a bit. Smile."

AJ sighed again and let off a fake smile.

"See? With a smile like that you'll make lots of friends, but do you really have to wear that nose ring? I made a compromise with the belly ring."

"Well make another compromise with the nose ring." AJ darted as they got in the car.

Michelle smiled as she began their drive.

"I do have to work tonight. Are you gonna be ok by yourself?"

"I'll be fine mom I'm not a kid. I'll be sixteen next month." AJ darted.

"Ok," Michelle said back, "I'm just making sure."

"But, Kyra did ask if I wanted to go to the basketball game tonight. Can I go?" AJ asked.

"Sure." Michelle answered. "Just make sure you're home by curfew ok?"

"Ok." AJ answered.

Timo was at the local burger place waiting for his cousin. He was getting a little aggravated because he was taking forever. He wanted to finish this job so he can go to the basketball game tonight. He wasn't there to show any support because he was kicked off the team by the new coach. He was simply going to make fun of them because there was no way they were going to win without him. He saw a few girls staring at him as if he were a piece of meat. He wasn't interested, chances are, he slept with them already.

He was relieved when he saw his cousin's car pull up in front of him.

"What's up Timo." His cousin greeted him.

"What up Renny." Timo greeted back. "I got some paper for you."

Timo quickly handed Renny a large stack of money. Renny, who seemed to be pleased with the deal quickly began counting.

"This is what I like to see." Renny said as he gave Timo a portion of the money he just counted. "You doin real good. Keep it up."

"I gotchu." Timo nodded.

"I'ma see you next week right?" Renny asked.

Timo nodded, "Yeah next week."

"Keep up the good work." Renny said as Timo began to walk away. He continued walking until he was pushed from behind. He turned around and saw three girls giggling and playing around. He instantly knew the one with the long curly hair was the one who shoved him.

"Watch where you goin' you little dumbass brat!" He yelled to her.

"Um, I'm walking here!" She yelled back.

 _Who does she think she is?_ He thought to himself. _She must not know me._

"You better watch ya mouth!" He yelled back.

"Am I supposed to be scared or somethin'?" She darted back.

"Hey stop." One of the girls got in between them. Timo easily recognized she was Kenyon's girlfriend. He didn't have any issues with her. The other girl the one he had a problem with.

"Tell ya girl to shut her mouth before I close it for good and snatch that weave out your head!" Timo yelled as he walked away.

"Little boy! I am not scared of you and my hair is all natural!" The girl yelled back.

"Fuck outta here!" Timo yelled as he walked away. He could still hear the girl yelling and cursing at him, but she was held back by Kenyon's girl.

"Stupid ass little girls." He said to himself.


	2. Season Opener

**CHAPTER 2: SEASON OPENER**

AJ, Kyra and Dominique arrived at the gym with their sodas and snacks. AJ was a little bit angry because of the argument she had with that guy. She would have apologized for bumping into him, but once he started calling her names, that was out the window.

"I guess I can't take you anywhere with us." Kyra joked. "You startin' fights already girl."

"It's not my fault," AJ said as they sat down and watched the game.

Kyra laughed, "Right." Then she turned to Dominique. "A little warning, my cousin here, she's a hot head."

"Yeah I got that," Dominique said as the both continued laughing.

Kyra moved closer to AJ, wanting to exclude Dominique from the conversation for a few minutes. She had something important she wanted to talk to AJ about.

"So you ok?"

AJ frowned, "Yes. I'm fine. He's an ass. Big deal."

"True, but I mean, you ok? I heard about what happened at your school."

AJ sighed, she knew exactly what Kyra was talking about. She was hoping her mother didn't say anything to anybody in the family, but it was inevitable. Her mom tells her aunt everything.

"How did you know?"

"Well you know the grapevine, your mom told my mom, told me."

"Not surprising," AJ said.

"Well if you don't want to talk about it that's cool, but you can you know. I'm here."

AJ tightened her face, keeping in her emotions. She wasn't ready to talk about it, not even with her favorite cousin. She didn't want to burden everyone with her problems. She wanted to have a good time with her cousin. She decided to change the subject.

"So who we playin? Who we lookin' for?" AJ asked, wanting to focus on the game. Basketball was the only thing that could take her mind off everything she has been through for the past few months. Even if she wasn't able to play, watching would be enough.

"We're playing Arlington tonight & Kenyon is number 42," Kyra answered with a huge grin.

"Cool." AJ smiled back, "You really like him huh?"

"I love him," Kyra said while still smiling. AJ sighed, Kyra always had a boyfriend, even when they were younger she always had a way with the boys. It was clear that things didn't change much. AJ was a bit different. She's had a few boyfriends once she got to high school, but they were nothing serious. She didn't know too much about sex and intimacy and it seemed as though that's all any high school boy wanted. It was hard for her to see a lot of girls her age having boyfriends. She would like to have one, but she wasn't going to rush things. She wanted to go to college once she graduated, she had to focus on school anyway.

"How long have you guys been together?" She asked.

"Since we were freshman," Kyra answered.

"Wow," AJ said as she watched him play. She began to think about playing girls basketball for her other school and how much fun she had. She was the leading scorer for their team. She wasn't going to miss much about her old school, but she was going to miss playing basketball. She loved to play. Any time she had a problem, she would always go to the court and play with either her friends or whoever was there and all of her problems went away. Knowing that she probably won't be able to play at this new school was putting her in a negative mood. That was the only thing she was looking forward to. She fixated on the game, mainly on the plays that the coach was yelling from the sidelines. She was familiar with some of the plays, but there was always a different variation, which was interesting to her.

She also had her attention on player number 5, who had gotten into an argument with the referee and was thrown out of the game. She got a closer look at him, and he looked very familiar. She can't seem to remember where she had seen him, but she knows she had seen him before. She never forgets a face.

The crowd booed and cursed at the referee as number 5 angrily took a seat on the bench

Kyra noticed she was staring hard at him.

"Got someone you interested in?" She joked.

AJ shook her head. "No. I'm just tryna remember where I seen number 5. He looks real familiar."

"Yeah take his ass to the bench!" AJ turned around and was displeased to see it was the same guy she had an argument with outside when they were walking to the game. She wasn't surprised either; he seemed to be rude and obnoxious.

"This little bitch." Timo murmured to himself as he noticed the girl he had a run in with outside staring at him. He started back at her, getting a better look and she was a beautiful girl. He especially liked her long curly hair. That was something he never saw before. Her smart mouth was a bit of a turn off, though.

"Whatchu lookin at?" He yelled at her.

"I'm not sure!" She yelled back.

Timo was getting angry.

"Look here little girl, you got one more time!"

"Or what?" She yelled back to him, "I'm not scared of you!"

Timo made a few steps down the bleachers moving closer to her.

"You about to be!"

Timo and AJ were about to get into another argument again until they were both held back by their friends.

"C'mon again?" Kyra said. "Calm down AJ!"

"Yeah!" Dominique chimed in. "It's almost half time lets get somethin' to eat."

Dominique and Kyra both grabbed AJ, and they made their way out of the gym to the snack bar.

"Yeah get somethin to eat, even though ya fat ass should stop eating!" Timo yelled.

AJ stopped and turned to him, but Kyra and Dominique kept pushing her away from him.

"Did he just call me fat?" He heard her say as they continued walking away.

One of Timo's friends looked at him.

"What?" Timo shrugged. "She's a little ignorant bitch! I don't play that shit! Dumbass little girl always openin her mouth, put a dick in it or somethin'!"

AJ, Kyra and Dominique were waiting in line at the snack bar while the cheerleaders performed their halftime show for the crowd. The music blared throughout the gym.

"You need to stop fights with that dude." Kyra said to AJ.

AJ shrugged with no conviction, "He started it."

"I don't care who started it!" Kyra said with a hint of authority in her voice. "That dude is crazy like, he don't care who he fights! I don't want nothin' to happen to you."

"Yeah, he _is_ a little crazy." Dominique agreed. "I heard he a drug dealer and whatnot. That's why he got kicked off the team."

AJ shrugged, "So."

"Just chill ok?" Kyra put an arm around her. "Just have fun watching the game with us, ignore him."

AJ sighed, "Ok mom." She darted back.

The three of them got their snack and made their way back to the gym. They sat in a different area, away from Timo. AJ ate her chilli dog and looked at the clock. Halftime was almost over which meant she didn't have to watch the cheerleaders much longer. They weren't doing too much dancing, they almost looked like strippers.

"Dumb bitches." Dominique murmured as she took a sip of her soda. "I dance better than all of them."

Kyra laughed, "You still mad about not makin' the team?"

"Yup," Dominique answered abruptly.

"You know you can't dance." Kyra laughed.

The cheerleaders finished their show and the third quarter was underway. The game has been very close with the score of 57-58. Arlington was in the lead, but Richmond was playing an excellent game, giving the crowd hopes that maybe they might win their first game.

AJ was overall impressed with the game. She was happy she came. Even if that meant having to deal with that jerk who kept starting fights with her.

"Hey is that Worm?" She noticed number 3 on the bench.

"Yeah," Kyra answered.

"Hey, Worm!" AJ shouted.

Worm immediately turned around, the sound of a female calling his name could distract him from anything. He saw AJ, who was with Kyra. He smiled and waved back to her.

The crowd roared with a mix of cheers and boos as Arlington scored another point for their team.

"Aw damn!" AJ yelled.

"You really into this basketball stuff huh?" Dominique asked.

"More than you'll ever know," AJ answered with a smile.

They continued watching the game with excitement; it was a close match, and this could mean Richmond could have their first win of the season.


	3. Trying To Forget

**CHAPTER 3: TRYING TO FORGET**

"Yo Damien, you did ya thing out there, man!" Worm said to the new player Damien, who happens to be the coach's son. "That pass was all you! You gotta show me how to do that!"

"No can do!" Damien smiled, "That's my specialty."

Worm sulked as everyone else laughed. "Whatever man."

"Yo, I'm surprised your dad let you hang with us after the game. He seems like a real hard ass." Kenyon said to Damien as they continued their walk to their favorite burger restaurant.

"Hey, that's my dad." Damien said.

"I know," Kenyon said, "but I'm just sayin' the sprints, the pushups, that shit hurts."

"Well, it's supposed to help us get in shape," Damien said. "It helps with our endurance, stamina, and strength."

"Yo, enough with all that technical shit! We undefeated!" yelled Junior Battle as they all slapped each other high fives.

Damien sighed, but he laughed a little bit. These Richmond kids were something else, but he knew he would have to endure them if he wanted to continue to be coached by his dad. He was a bit worried about how the team would perceive him because of his dad, but he knew he could handle himself if something were to happen. The team seemed to like him so far, but he also hoped they liked him for him and not because he helped them win their first game tonight.

"Yo Lyle, you kinda quiet." Worm said to Jason as they continued walking.

Jason was quiet for a reason. He was annoyed at the fact that he didn't get to play much because he got kicked out of the game. The last thing he wanted to hear was his other teammates bragging about how many points they scored.

"I got kicked out the game over some bullshit," Jason murmured. He was shoved heavily by Timo from behind, who was laughing at him.

"Yo, that shit was funny B! You really _can't_ play! Your ass needs to be put on the bench for good!"

"Shut the fuck up Cruz!" Jason said. "You just mad we won without you!"

"Ya'll barely beat 'em!" Timo darted back. "They was weak anyway! They don't know how to play!"

"Damn Timo, you throwin' salt! Show love, man! We undefeated!" Kenyon said to him.

"Yeah we undefeated," Junior repeated as he shoved Timo.

Timo looked up at Junior. Then at everyone else. "I should knock all ya'll out."

They made their way into the restaurant. It was filled with Richmond students who just came from the game. They all cheered and clapped when they saw the basketball team at the door.

They all smiled, except Timo, who was a bit agitated.

"Ya'll corny! I'm outta here. I'ma check ya'll!" He quickly left the restaurant and went his way.

"Who's that?" Damien asked.

"That's Timo," Kenyon answered. "He was on the team with us."

"Oh cool," Damien said. He began looking around. He was looking for a particular person. A beautiful girl he saw at the game tonight. He didn't get a chance to talk to her because he was playing, but he saw her in the stands cheering when the buzzer rang and the game was over. He was extremely happy about the win. It was a good night, but it would have been nice if he got to talk to her after the game.

"You lookin' for someone?" Kenyon asked noticing Damien looking around curiously.

"What? No." Damien answered hoping he didn't make it seem obvious.

"You got a girlfriend?" Junior joked while laughing.

"No, I don't," Damien answered back. He was a little embarrassed to talk about his love life, or lack thereof. He knew these guys have had plenty of experience when it came to girls, he didn't want to be teased for that either.

"You could get one tonight, look at all these honeys around here. They all got they eyes on you!" Worm exclaimed. "I'll set you up. I know all the fly girls!"

"You mean all the hoes," Lyle said as he began to laugh.

"I _know_ you not talkin'!" Worm exclaimed, "You with a different chick every day!"

"I can't help it if the ladies love me," Lyle said with a hint of arrogance in his voice. "There's enough of me to go around."

Kenyon laughed, "These are _not_ the dudes you need to be taking relationship advice from, believe me. Just be cool, man, you'll find a girl."

"Speak for yourself Mr. One Woman man." Lyle laughed. "You mad cuz you can't kick it like that no more!"

"Yeah don't be mad because you can't live it up like we do!" Worm said after Lyle.

"Yeah sleeping with different chicks every day, don't say that shit to me when you come back with an std," Kenyon said.

"Whatever." Worm said back.

Damien laughed at all of their remarks. He enjoyed his post-win night out with his team, but he couldn't help but think about that girl. She was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. He was hoping that he could see her again.

AJ continued her walk home from the basketball game. Kyra wasn't feeling well, so she didn't want to stay out much longer. AJ didn't mind because she didn't want to be out much either. It was getting really late and cold. She wanted to get to her house so she can get warm as soon as possible. She folded her arms to warm her hands and walked faster. She was getting a bit nervous at these grown men who were sitting outside the corner stores staring at her, one of them even had the nerve to try to speak to her. She even saw a few of these guys with guns on them which made her even more scared. All she could think about is what happened at Hercules when the shooting happened. She didn't want to think about it, but that seemed to be the only thing playing in her mind repeatedly. What made things worse was that everyone around her wanted to talk about it. She knew they ment well and wanted to help her, but she just didn't want to talk about; she wanted to forget about it, pretend it never happened.

She continued walking until she finally reached the apartment complex she lives. When she approached her building, she saw a black car with tinted windows and a man wearing a long black coat standing in front of it as if he were waiting for someone. She was a bit relieved to see him tonight because he had something she needed. She doesn't know his name but she knew of him through her friend that had been shot during the shooting. That's how she began smoking weed in the first place. She bought from him a few times since she's moved into the neighborhood. She hasn't seen him in a few days, but she knew this was his block. She was glad he was here tonight because she was running low.

"Hey, mija." He greeted her with a smile.

AJ sighed and smiled back. "I don't speak Spanish and I don't understand why you keep calling me that."

"Just a term of endearment." He continued to smile at her. "So whachu lookin' for?"

AJ reached into her pocket and handed the gentlemen some money.

"Just a little bag."

The gentlemen counted the money and put it in his pocket. He reached into another part of his pocket and handed her a small bag. AJ quickly put it in her pocket.

"Thanks," She said.

"No problem," He answered. "So how was the game? Did you go?"

AJ sighed, "Yeah it was cool, Richmond won, first game."

"That's good." The gentlemen said. "My little cousin goes to Richmond. He used to play on the team but I don't know what's up with him."

AJ sighed again, she didn't know too many people at Richmond so it would be impossible for her to try and figure out who it was. She didn't really have too much to say to him tonight. It was way too cold outside to have a conversation. "Well, I'm gonna go. I'll see you around."

"You too sweetheart," He said as AJ smiled. She enjoyed the small talks she would have with this guy when they made their deals. He wasn't creepy or acting as though he was interested in her. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, but she also knew better, so she wasn't going to play it too close.

She began walking into the apartment complex; it took her about a minute to find her home. She reached into her pocket for her house key, unlocked the door and went inside. She immediately locked the door behind her and closed it. The house was quiet and dark. Her mom was working overnight, so she knew she was going to be alone. She turned on the lights, and took her jacket off and hung it on the coat hanger by the door. She went into her room and immediately took off her jeans and put on a pair of black sweatpants. She looked around her room. Her room was a mess, mainly because of the unpacking she has been doing since she moved in. She had a lot of items, and the room was relatively small so she was going to have to think of a way to keep her room organized. She wasn't going to do that tonight. She went back to the living room where she hung her coat and reached in her pocket for her little bag of weed and went into the kitchen to look for a lighter. She found one in the drawer where they keep the silverware. She also found the cigar wraps she was going to use to create her joint.

She took a small amount of weed out of the bag and placed it in the cigar wrap. She rolled the joint until it was in a cylindrical shape and put it in her mouth to light it. She took her first hit, and she was beginning to feel relief. When she blew smoke, she felt as though she was blowing the problems out of her system. The more hits she took off her joint, the better she felt. She began to forget about everything and felt more relaxed. This was what she needed.


	4. Damien's Crush

**CHAPTER 4: DAMIEN'S CRUSH**

It was a fresh Monday morning, and Damien has officially been at Richmond High for a week. He hated it at first, but after the win on Friday, people were starting to know who he is. There were a good few that would go out of their way to make him feel as if he was just a nerd who wasn't as cool as the rest of the student body, but he didn't let that bother him. His father's coaching is all that mattered to him.

He went into his pocket and pulled out his schedule to look at it. He had different classes on different days, so he wanted to make sure he was going to the right class. He needed to get to his locker right away because his first class was a long walk and he didn't want to be late. He began rushing through a bunch of other students who were making their way to class. Some of them were standing by their lockers talking to their friends with no intentions of going to class. He heard the first bell ring and began to panic. He needed to be in his class by the second bell, or he would be late. He walked faster to the point where he was almost running. He looked down to check his watch, and he bumped into someone. Papers, school books, and notebooks flew all over them as they both fell to the ground. Damien was mortified.

"I am so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Oww!" She cried as she clutched her head.

Damien moved closer to her to check on her, and he noticed who she was, the cute girl from the game on Friday. The one he wanted to talk to, but couldn't. He was even more mortified than ever now. He quickly got up, picked up her books and papers and extended his arm to help her up.

"I'm so sorry!" He repeated once again as she took his arm and picked herself up. He was hoping that she wasn't going to be angry with him.

"It's okay," She said while still holding her head. "I should have been watching where I was going."

Damien handed her books; he noticed she was a bit frustrated.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She looked at her schedule and sighed. "Not really," She answered. "I'm trying to find Mr. Gessick's science class, and I have no idea where it is. My older cousin was supposed to help me, but she's sick and isn't here today, and I don't know where to go!" She let out a slight whine.

"Hey, it's okay," Damien said with a slight chuckle. "I have his class too; I'll take you there."

"Thank you so much." She smiled.

"No problem," Damien answered back.

The bell rang, which meant both of them were late for class, but Damien didn't care. His prayers were answered. He got to talk to the girl he wanted to talk to. Being late was worth it.

They both continued to walk down the hall. Damien grew nervous; he wasn't sure how to talk to a girl, but he knew if he wanted something to happen he was going to have to get over it.

"I'm Damien." He introduced himself.

"I'm AJ," She said back with a smile.

"So this is your first day I take it?" Damien asked as they continued walking.

"Yeah, can you tell?" AJ laughed.

"Don't worry. It's my first week. I'm trying to get around this school too. St. Francis was way bigger, though."

AJ scrunched her face in confusion. "You came from St Francis? Drastic change."

Damien sighed. "Yeah I transferred to Richmond."

"Wait a minute," AJ began, "You _moved_ to Richmond from St Francis?"

Damien chuckled a bit. He wasn't surprised at AJ's reaction. Almost everyone he told that too had the same reaction. "Yeah, my dad is the new coach for the boys basketball team."

AJ's eyes widened, she finally realized who he was. "Oh! _You're_ number 12! I saw the game on Friday; you were really good!"

Damien blushed and smiled; the girl that he was into gave him a compliment.

"Thank you," He answered.

They finally made their way to Mr. Gessick's class. Students were already in their seats, and Mr. Gessick was teaching his lecture. Everyone stopped to stare at them.

"Damien Carter, you are late." Mr. Gessick said.

"I'm sorry sir," Damien answered. "I was helping her find this class."

"Oh yes, we do have a new student." Mr. Gessick turned his attention to the classroom as AJ handed him a note from the Principal.

"Class, we have a new student!" He announced, "Her name is AJ, she's a sophomore this year. Let's make her feel welcome."

AJ sighed. She didn't want to be the center of attention, but it was too late.

"AJ, why don't you take a seat over there and see me after class I'll give you some assignments to catch up on."

AJ sat at the desk Mr. Gessick assigned her, and Damien sat next to her.

"Mr. Carter, I will excuse your tardiness for today because you were helping our new student."

"Thank you, sir," Damien said back.

Mr. Gessick continued his lecture. Damien went into his backpack and sulked. He realized he forgot to go to his locker and get his science book.

"Dammit," He whispered, "I forgot my book."

AJ pulled her book out from her backpack. "We can share mine. Think of it as a thank you."

Damien smiled, so far so good with AJ. He had to thank Kenyon for the advice later on at practice today.

"Thanks."

He moved closer to AJ as she opened her book to the page that Mr. Gessick was referring to. She smelled exquisite and he loved her long curly hair. He wanted to touch it, but he didn't mean to seem weird, especially since things are going well with her.

"So how long have you been playing basketball?" AJ whispered to him.

"Ever since I learned to dribble," Damien answered.

"You were really good on Friday," AJ said again.

"Thanks." Damien smiled.

Mr. Gessick stopped his lecture again because he heard them talking.

"Mr. Carter, I take it you are helping AJ with the assignments as well?"

"Uh, yeah!" Damien answered knowing he was lying, "Just explaining to her what's going on."

"This is a vital lecture, can you help her when class is over?" Mr. Gessick asked politely.

"Sorry, sir," Damien said.

Mr. Gessick continued his lecture once again. Damien and AJ laughed a little bit as they kept their silence and looked at the book together.

Coach Ken Carter was making his way from his office to Principal Garrison's office. He wasn't sure why she called him in, but he was hoping that it regarded the progress reports that he had asked for. He was getting a bit frustrated about asking for them because he felt as though he was being ignored, but he wanted his boys to make something of themselves and go to college. He was going to make sure that was going to happened one way or another.

He decided to take a look in his mailbox before he went inside Principal Garrison's office. He was hoping that something was there. He looked in the slot by his name K. Carter; he saw nothing. He shook his head as he opened the door to her office and seen her talking on the phone with a parent. He patiently waited because it seemed to have been an emergency.

After 2 minutes, she finally hung up the phone and turned her attention to Coach Carter.

"Mr. Carter, how are the boys?"

"They are great ma'am; we are 1 and 0."

"Very good." Principal Garrison said while opening her file cabinet and began rummaging through files. "If you have some time I would like to talk to you."

"Sure ma'am." Coach Carter said as he sat down.

"I'm not sure if you heard about the shooting at Hercules."

"I read about it in the paper. It's sad that young adults have to go through such trauma." Coach Carter answered.

"It is." Principal Garrison said back. "Well we have a student here who came from Hercules, and um, she was involved in the shooting. Involved directly, I can't say much, but she witnessed something tragic and even had to go to trial for it. Her parents are worried that is affected her behavior."

"With all due respect ma'am, what does that have to do with me?" Coach Carter asked.

"Well, she used to play for Hercules, and she _loves_ basketball-"

"There's a girls team she can play on."

"Well unfortunately not enough girls tried out for the team, so we won't have one this year, but I thought maybe you need an Assistant Coach or something."

Coach Carter was concerned; he wasn't sure how to feel about the favor that Principal Garrison was asking, He wasn't sure about having a girl around the team.

"I don't know ma'am. I don't see it being a good idea."

"Look I know you may have some reserve about this but, I feel that you are working well with these boys, and I want you to do the same thing with this young lady. Maybe her being around something that she loves will keep her busy, away from the stuff she's been through."

Coach sighed, he wanted to say no, but he felt as though he had no choice.

"Well, Clay did quit on me without notice. I could use a little help I guess."

"Just see how it goes for a week or two, and if doesn't work out just let me know." Principal Garrison said.

"Sure." Coach answered.

"Great. I'll call her to the office so you can meet her."


	5. Lunchtime

**CHAPTER 5: LUNCHTIME**

The bell rang which meant it was time for lunch. AJ was the first to leave her History class. She walked down the hallway amazed at herself that she was able to get through the day. It was a little rough at first, but with Damien's help, she was able to manage. Damien was a freshman, and by her being a sophomore she has three classes with him. She liked him so far; he was a little nerdy, but overall he was sweet.

She finally made it to her locker. She opened it to put away her books.

"Hey, what's up AJ?" She heard a male voice from behind her.

AJ was startled and turned around; she was relieved to see Kenyon, who was accompanied by Worm.

"Hey," AJ answered back.

"Kyra's at home sick, but I just wanted to see how you were."

AJ smiled as she closed her locker. It was nice that Kenyon was looking out for her while Kyra was at home sick. "I'm good I guess. What's wrong with Kyra? Is she okay?" The three of them began walking, making their way to the cafeteria.

"I'm good I guess. What's wrong with Kyra? Is she okay?" She asked as the three of them began walking, making their way to the cafeteria.

"I don't know," Kenyon answered, "She's been throwing up a lot lately."

"Yo, she pregnant cuz." Worm said.

Kenyon looked at him with disgust and annoyance, "Shut up Worm."

"Hey I'm just sayin' sex ed is the one class I pay attention in, and they say that when a girl is pregnant, she starts throwin' up and shit."

"She's not pregnant." Kenyon darted.

"Whatever you say." Worm said back.

They approached the cafeteria and immediately got in line. AJ was a bit concerned about the possibility of Kyra being pregnant. She hoped it wasn't true and if it was, why didn't she tell AJ? They always told each other everything.

"So you know that girlie I've been tellin you about?" Worm asked Kenyon.

"Which one?" Kenyon asked knowing Worm had an extensive dating history.

"Chanel, I went out with her last night and took her back to my place, she was on her knees all night if you know what I'm sayin' she had some serious head-"

AJ covered her ears. "Ok! Not something we need to talk about!"

"C'mon AJ." Worm said as they finally grabbed trays and began to pick out from the lineup what they wanted to eat. "Don't act like you never done it before. You never had anyone rock your boat?"

Worm was laughing, but AJ wasn't. She blushed a little bit she was a bit uncomfortable talking about sex with Worm. She didn't have much to talk about because she was a virgin. The closest she got to a guy was a kiss, and it wasn't that great.

"Your nasty Worm," Kenyon said disgusted with what Worm said to AJ.

"Y'all act like sex is so horrible!" Worm darted. "Before you was with Kyra you had all those girls."

Kenyon's eyes grew big. He didn't want AJ to tell Kyra about the life he had before he dated Kyra. He and Worm used to chase girls together before he fell in love with Kyra, but things were different now, he was much more mature and he put it all in the past. He wanted to punch Worm for bringing it up in front of his girlfriend's cousin.

AJ picked up her tray and walked a little ahead of them because she needed ketchup, and she was sick of the sex talk. She stopped at the condiment line and didn't see any ketchup.

"Excuse me," She asked the lunch custodian. "Do you know where the ketchup is?"

"Why don't you check under that weave?" She heard a familiar voice say sharply from behind her.

She sighed and rolled her eyes because she knew immediately who it was. The same guy that she got into a fight with at the basketball game on Friday. He was wearing a black sweater and he had a chain around his neck. He was topped with an Oakland Raiders hat. She was hoping she wasn't going to run into him again, but she knew he went to Richmond, it was bound to happen sooner or later. He pushed his way past her with an arrogant smirk on his face.

"No, but hey there it is, behind your gigantic head!" AJ darted back.

He sat his tray down and turned back to her. He knocked her tray out of her hands and soup splattered all over her sweater. The students in the cafeteria stopped what they were doing and looked at them both, hoping there was going to be a fight.

AJ was floored. She bought this sweater for her first day of school and now it was ruined. She wanted to beat this guy's face into the ground.

"Whachu gonna do little brat?" He taunted still wearing that arrogant smirk.

"AJ Green, please report to Principal Garrison's office!" The announcer calls through the school announcement system. AJ rolled her eyes, this couldn't have come at a worse time.

"Oh, is that's you? Damn, you seem like such a good girl." He teased.

AJ sighed, this little brawl with this guy was going to have to wait another time.

"Next time I see you, you'll be eating concrete." AJ threatened him as she walked away.

"I'm so fuckin scared!" He darted back.

Kenyon and Worm were behind AJ watching the whole thing, they both approached Timo as AJ left.

"C'mon man," Kenyon said to Timo. "Did you have to do that?"

"Yeah man, not cool." Worm said after him.

"Whatever," Timo said back with no emotion, "That was the smart mouth little girl I was telling you about!"

"What?" Worm exclaimed. "AJ?"

"Yeah, little girl always got somethin' to say!" Timo darted.

"You've got to cool it!" Kenyon said to Timo, "That's my girlfriend's cousin man. If she tells Kyra, I'll never hear the end of it!"

"Look ma nigga whatever you go through with ya little girlfriend ain't my problem," Timo said. "Fuck these girls man!"

Kenyon laughed, he knew Timo hasn't been having much luck with his relationship lately. He knew about the roller coaster relationship with the girl Worm was just bragging about. She even came onto him a few times, but Kenyon wasn't into girls like her. It wasn't surprising that she got with Worm. Anytime the two of them got into a fight or "breakup" she would flirt with the guys on the team just to get back at him. Kenyon wondered why he wasted so much time with this girl, but there was no getting through to him. He hoped one day he would get over her and find someone else.

"You still mad about Chanel huh?"

Worm paused, "Hold up, Chanel? Junior Chanel?"

"Man, I don't even want to talk about that bitch." Timo darted.

Kenyon couldn't help but laugh. Worm, however, wasn't laughing. "Aint that the girl you was tellin' me about?"

"Shut up man." Worm muttered.

"Whachu talkin about Kenyon?" Timo asked already knowing the answer.

"Worm was telling me about this Chanel chick he was with last night."

Timo gave Worm a menacing look. He already heard through other people that they had hooked up. He was waiting to see how long Worm would try to keep it from him. Kenyon looked at Timo; he knew Timo was upset about it, but he was going to play it off as if he wasn't. He felt a little bad for Timo. He was the only one on the team who knew of his troubled past. They would have many heart to heart conversations together when they were on the team, conversations that only stayed between them.

"Whatever man, now you see why I ain't with that bitch. She's a fuckin slut, yo."

"Then why do you keep hangin with her?" Kenyon all laughed at they walked out of the cafeteria. Timo didn't give an answer, he didn't have one. He was wondering the same thing. Why was he wasting so much time with a girl who couldn't be faithful to him even if he tried?

"So seriously, you gotta chill with this AJ stuff," Kenyon said. "I can't deal with that drama."

"I ain't makin no promises," Timo said abruptly.

Worm laughed, "You sure do have a way with the ladies."

"My nigga, you got my leftovers whachu talkin about?"

They all laughed and continued enjoying their lunch hour. Kenyon was concerned about AJ. He was hoping that Timo didn't do anything too extreme to make her feel bad.


	6. Meeting Coach Carter

**CHAPTER 6: MEETING COACH CARTER**

It took ten minutes for AJ to find Principal Garrison's office. This is her first day of school, so she was curious as to why she was being called to the office. She wasn't in the mood to hear Principal Garrison's endless babbling. She reluctantly walked into her office. It looked as though Principal Garrison was speaking with another teacher.

"You rang?" AJ asked with no emotion.

Principal Garrison looked up at her.

"Hello, AJ, what happened to your shirt? Are you okay?"

AJ sighed, she was pretty sure Principal Garrison was going to ask her about the lunchtime incident. There was no hiding it; the proof was all over her new sweater.

"Well, I was having an ok day until some dude threw my lunch tray at me."

Principal Garrison sighed, she was disappointed already. She felt like she already failed in her promise to her mother about keeping a close eye on her.

"Do you know his name?" She asked.

AJ shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I don't care."

Coach Carter felt sorry. He had zero tolerance for bullying, especially when it came to females. He was hoping that the guy was no one from the basketball team, if so, they were going to face serious consequences.

"I'm not in trouble am I?" AJ asked with confusion in her voice.

"No, not at all. I wanted to introduce to you to Coach Ken Carter."

He extended his hand, "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

AJ shook his hand. "Amber, but everyone calls me AJ," She answered.

"Coach Carter is the new basketball coach." Principal Garrison said.

"I thought you said that there was no girls team." AJ was confused.

"Well, unfortunately, there isn't one this year," Coach Carter began, "but I am need of a Team Manager, and Principal Garrison informed me that you would be a good candidate."

AJ scrunched her face. It was hard for her to get excited about being a team manager. She really would have liked for there to be a girls basketball team. She wanted nothing more than to play. "What all do I have to do?"

"Well, you'll be setting up equipment for the players to practice with, also attending each weight lifting session to ensure that the players are conditioning properly, also taping the games, and taking stats if needed," Coach Carter answered.

AJ let out a long sigh. She wanted to do more than to be the maid of the boy's basketball team. She was looking for a way to get out of it, but it looked as though she had no choice. She remained silent as Coach Carter handed her two documents.

"These are the job qualifications, and the other page is a contract to be signed by you and your parents. Basketball practice starts at 3:00, but you will need to arrive 15 minutes early to set up. I will show you where everything is when you arrive. Do you have any questions for me?"

AJ sighed, "I don't have to go into the boys locker room do I? I don't want to see anyone's tiny junk."

Principal Garrison lowered her head. She couldn't believe those words came out of AJ's mouth, but she wasn't surprised. She knew AJ had a tough exterior due to everything that has happened to her.

Coach Carter sighed, "No, only when I call you in."

The bell rang, meaning that this lunch period was over. _I didn't even get to have lunch. Damn._ AJ thought to herself.

"Can I go? I don't want to be late for class."

"Yes, you can AJ." Principal Garrison dismissed her.

Coach Carter looked at Principal Garrison as AJ left the office. This young lady had a fiery personality. "This is going to be a fascinating mix."

"I know she's a little closed off, but just give it this week. If things don't work out, just let me know."

* * *

Kenyon and the rest of the boys basketball team were in the locker room changing getting ready for practice. Damien ran into the locker room frantically looking at his watch. He was barely on time. He sulked a bit; he was hoping to cross paths with AJ somehow, he looked for her a little bit, and that was part of the reason he was the last one to come to practice.

"Almost late again, Fresh Prince." Kenyon joked as Damien began changing.

"I was looking for someone," Damien answered, still upset that he didn't get to see AJ after class.

"I knew you had a girlfriend!" Worm exclaimed. "Who is it? I gotta know!"

Damien thought about telling them, but he hesitated. He was scared he get made fun of, "Nah."

"C'mon D, you can tell us," Jason said after him, curious to know who it is.

"What she look like?" Worm asked.

Damien couldn't help but smile. AJ was a gorgeous girl. He couldn't help but smile when he thought about her. He also glanced down a bit to make sure something else didn't pop up; that would be extremely embarrassing.

"She got long hair, and it's like curly, and she's got these eyes, and she's sweet, and this nice butt, you just wanna..."

Worm was smiling, trying to keep in his laugh, but Kenyon wasn't. The second Damien said curly hair; he knew it was AJ. He wasn't surprised, though. AJ was cute, and she seemed like the type of girl that Damien would go for.

"Is he talking about AJ?" Worm finally let his laugh out.

" You guys know her?" Damien asked with panic.

"She's my girlfriend's cousin," Kenyon said with a stern voice.

Damien's eyes widened, he was immediately scared. He only made that comment about AJ's butt just to fit in with the guys. He was getting tired of being teased for being a freshman and the coach's son. He didn't want Kenyon to beat him up, though.

"Look, man, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

All the boys in the locker room began to laugh, including Kenyon.

"Don't worry about it, man," He said. "But if you hurt her, Imma hurt you."

"I-I won't I promise." Damien stuttered. He was glad that Kenyon gave him his blessing, but he knew that Kenyon was serious about what he said. He quickly finished getting ready. Practice was starting in a few minutes.

AJ was in the gym setting up all the equipment for the players to practice. There was so much to do in so little time, and Coach Carter was very demanding. She was getting annoyed very quickly. She was looking for a way to get out of it, but it seemed as though she had no choice. She wasn't sure which was worse, having her lunch thrown on her or now having to be the maid for the boy's basketball team. She could already tell that she wasn't going to like this at all.

Coach Carter came into the gym holding a clipboard. He looked around and seemed to be pleased with her set up. She did a better job than Clay, and she was a fast worker.

"Good job AJ," He said. "You did better than my last manager."

AJ shrugged, she didn't have much to say. She watched the managers a few times when she played for Hercules; it wasn't hard to figure out what to do.

"Please make sure that cooler is filled with cold water for when the boys take a break." Coach Carter ordered.

"I filled it up already," She answered back.

"Ok." Coach Carter said. "I have to go back to the office I forgot something. The boys should be coming out in a little bit; they know to start warming up. I'll be right back."

AJ nodded as he watched him leave the room. She finished up the rest of her tasks and looked around the gym. It was about the same size as the Hercules gym. She began having flashbacks of when she used to play. That was the only time things were right in her life. Now everything has been taken away from her; everything was falling apart. All she could think about was the shooting, the media all over it, the trial, the students bullying her after it. She just wanted things to go back to normal.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Coach Carter coming back to the gym handing her a few towels. "Make sure you keep some of these in handy. It gets pretty intense when we start doing drills," He said to her.

"Ok," AJ said back as she folded them neatly and placed them on the bench.

"Aw damn, I forgot one more thing I'll be right back." Coach Carter left the gym once again, and AJ continued finishing her tasks. She continued working for about 5 minutes until she heard the loud voices of the team making their way to the gym. She rolled her eyes; this wasn't going to be fun. A bunch of obnoxious boys talking about how many girls they have that groveled at their feet. They immediately took the center of the court to begin their stretches. None of them seemed to pay attention to her, and she was okay with that. The last thing she wanted was to get into a fight with another guy at this school.

Damien was trying his best to focus on his stretches, but he couldn't concentrate. He couldn't keep his eyes off of AJ, who was setting up equipment around the gym. He remembered his dad telling him that they would have a new manager, but he did know that it was going to be AJ. He was happy, now he had another reason to stick around for the team other than his father.

"You gonna talk to her man?" Worm noticed him staring at her.

"Talk to who?" Jason asked abruptly. He looked around and saw AJ as well; he was impressed, he was a cutie. "Woah, who is that?"

"That's Damien's new girlfriend AJ!" Worm yelled, hoping that AJ would hear him. He wanted to make Damien nervous and start a little trouble.

"Stop! She might hear you!" Damien shushed him, wanting to punch Worm.

"What you can't talk to her? You too scared or somethin' dawg?" Jason teased while the rest of the players laughed.

Damien was a bit annoyed. He was scared to talk to her. He didn't know what to say. Having all these guys around him who had no problems talking to girls wasn't making him any more confident.

"It's cool D." Kenyon defended him. "It took me a minute to talk to my girlfriend too, don't listen to these fools."

"What?" Worm taunted. "Don't listen to Kenyon, he doesn't know what he's talkin about! I'm the man 'round here. Imma show you how to talk to these girls it's real easy. I'mma show you."

He shifted his directed to three cheerleaders walking across the court.

"Hey, Rashauna! Teneice! Holla at me!"

They didn't seem to be interested, but Worm was persistent.

"Rafeeka, I see you lookin!"

They laughed, "Aint nobody thikin' about you worm!"

All the guys laughed, including Damien. It was funny to see Worm having such confidence, but having the worst luck with girls. He knew that listening to Worm wasn't going to get him anywhere. It was going to take some time to talk to AJ and get to know her, and he was okay with that.

Coach Carter finally came back to the gym.

"Okay gentlemen, before we begin I'd like to let you know we have a new team manager." He turned his attention to AJ.

"Ms. Green can you come here please?"

AJ rolled her eyes. He was going to introduce her to the team. _Dammit!_ She thought to herself, so much for not being seen. She did as she was told and made her way to Coach Carter and the guys.

"Gentlemen, this is AJ Green. She is now our new manager. Please make her feel welcome, and if _any_ of you disrespect her, you will do 25 suicides and 250 push ups."

AJ sighed, she didn't want to seem like the coach was protecting her, she could take care of herself.

"Yes, sir." All of the players said in unison.

"Now let's review the Arlington game shall we?" Coach Carter began. AJ took an interest and began to listen. She was curious about the team's stats.

"Yo Coach! Yell out my numbers sir!" Worm yelled.

Coach Carter went through a few pages on his clipboard.

"Mr. Worm, you were 5 and 4."

"No, I had 12 points and eight assists sir." Worm said while still stretching with a confused look on his face.

"No, sir Mr. Worm, you had five turnovers and four miss free throws."

The rest of the team laughed. AJ laughed as well as she continued her tasks, still listening to Coach Carter talk about the game.

"We're talking about fundamentals here. Until we learn them, I am adding a practice at 6 am."

Everyone groaned, even AJ. She was not a morning person, and becoming a maid for the boys basketball team wasn't going to help.

"As a team, we shot 56%-"

Coach Carter's lecture was interrupted by a guy who abruptly walked in the gym. AJ's face grew with anger immediately recognizing him from lunch earlier.

 _You've gotta be fucking kidding me._ She thought to herself as she stared hard at him. She remembered one of Kyra's friends mentioning him being kicked off the team.

"Mr. Cruz, are you lost, sir?" Coach Carter asked.

"He just better be." AJ murmured, hoping nobody would hear her, but Coach Carter did.

"What do I gotta to do play?" He asked.

"Die," AJ said, thinking out loud. The rest of the team heard her this time, including Kenyon, who knew this was not going to be a good idea. If Timo were going to get back on the team, he would have to babysit the both of them and stop them from wanting to fight each other again.

"Mr. Cruz, you do _not_ want to know the answer to that question."

Timo still stood there. He wasn't going to leave, he wanted so badly to be on the team, and he was going to do anything Coach said. He noticed the curly hair girl from lunch setting up equipment for warm ups. _Making herself useful,_ he thought to himself, _Dumb bitch._ He heard her smart little comments she was making when he came in. He was going to deal with her later, but he had to make sure he was back on the team frist.

"As a team, we shot %56 percent from the free throw line," Coach Carter continued, "From now on, before you leave my gym, you all must pay an exit price of 50 made free throws, and that is _everybody."_

"That's a lot of free throws." Worm said as Coach looked behind him, still seeing that Timo was there.

"Okay, Mr. Cruz, before you can play on this team. You owe me," He flipped through more pages on his clipboard, "2500 push ups, and 1000 suicides."

The team began to whisper. There was no way he was going to complete those.

"Oh, and they must be completed by Friday, and I'm adding 500 more push ups for disrespecting Ms. Green at lunch today."

The team began to whisper again. Some of them were wondering how he knew about their fight at lunch.

"That's a lot." One player said.

"He's not gonna make it." Another one said back.

Timo was angry and confused, how did he know about the fight that happened with AJ? More importantly, how was he going to finish all of that by Friday? He let out a long sigh as he took off his coat and his backpack and began doing push-ups. He was going to do all he can.

Coach handed AJ a clipboard.

"Keep count please," He ordered.

AJ sighed, "Are you serious?"

"Yes." Coach said. "Everything is going to be fine."

AJ let out another sigh and did what she was told. She sat on the bench and started counting as he endlessly did push ups. _Why the hell am I here?_ She thought to herself. She couldn't wait to go home. This was a horrible first day of school. She got into a fight with this guy and now she has to look at him every single day if he did make the team. _God, if you exist, can you not have him make finish?_ She thought.


	7. Love Affairs & Nightmares

**CHAPTER 7: LOVE AFFAIRS AND NIGHTMARES**

The end of a long grueling basketball practice comes to a close. Some of the players were finishing their 50 made free throws, and Timo continued his endless suicides. AJ was placing the balls on the rack and pumping them and didn't even bother to watch Timo anymore. She had a pretty good idea how many more he was going to complete. It was easy to figure out once she saw his pattern.

"I really can't believe I'm doing this," AJ said to herself as she continued pumping the basketballs. She was approached by one of the players placing his basketball on the rack.

"Hey, I know you," He said. "You used to go to Hercules right?"

AJ sighed, she didn't want to be reminded of going to Hercules, but she did recognize this guy now getting a closer look at him, number 5. He was he one who was thrown out of the game. She didn't know his name, but she remembered his face.

"Yeah, I think I know you too, you used to date one of my teammates at Hercules," AJ said back.

Jason smiled. He knew exactly who she was talking about. Unfortunately, their relationship didn't last because of Jason's infidelity. "Yeah Jasmine. What's up with her?"

"I don't know," AJ answered as she continued putting the basketballs on the rack.

"Didn't they have that crazy shooting out there?" Jason asked.

"Yeah what was up with that?" Worm asked after him.

AJ sighed. She didn't want to talk about her life at Hercules, in particular with these guys. She was trying her best to get it out of her head. Talking about it wasn't going to help. "I don't know much about it. It all happened at once. It was crazy."

"I bet," Jason answered back as he grabbed a small dixie cup of water and gulped it. A few of the other players including Damien grabbed some as well. Damien was a bit annoyed with Jason and Worm talking to AJ, even if it was about something tragic such as a school shooting. He couldn't figure out what to talk about or how to even start a conversation, maybe he should just bump into her again, that was easier.

"So I gotta question," Worm began, "Is your hair really curly like that?"

AJ rolled her eyes and sighed. She knew it wasn't going to be long until someone asked her that. She never really liked her hair. It was just too much for her, the length and the tight curls were a hairdresser's nightmare sometimes, but her mom refuses to let her cut it.

"Yeah. It's always been like that. I can straighten it, but I never really do it's annoying," She answered.

Jason was about to answer, but he was shoved by a sweaty irritated Timo.

"Yo water girl! Can you quit flirting? Some people are dyin out here! Can I get some water please?"

Damien gave Timo a menacing look. This must be the arrogant brute that his dad was telling him about. He couldn't help but overhear Kenyon and Worm talking about him starting a fight with AJ at lunch. Why was he so mean to her? It was her first day.

AJ let out another sigh of annoyance. If Coach Carter weren't still in the gym, she would have thrown the cup of water in his face, but she had to keep her cool. Coach Carter's ways of discipline are a little hardcore. If she has the boys doing suicides and push ups, who knows what he would have AJ do. She reluctantly handed him his cup of water, and he snatched it rudely.

"You're welcome!" AJ yelled at him as he walked away.

Timo ignored her. As much as he would love to entertain AJ's need for revenge, he didn't want to do anything that would cause him to be in even more trouble than he was already in. He wasn't going to apologize for throwing her food on her shirt; she deserved it. He took his coat and his bag and walked out of the gym into the locker room to shower. He didn't feel like talking to anyone. All of the guys were too busy eyeballing AJ anyway.

"Don't worry about him," Jason said to AJ. "He always tryna act all hard all the time."

"Yeah I noticed," AJ answered back.

"Yeah just ignore him," Kenyon added, knowing that them two were gonna get in another fight sooner or later.

"I guess," AJ answered, "Hey what's up with Kyra? My mom said she was sick today."

Kenyon sighed. He began to think about what Worm said earlier about her being pregnant. He didn't want to think about that. This was his senior year of high school, and he had plans to go to college. Having a child would make those plans impossible.

"I don't know," He answered. "I got her homework I'm gonna talk to her later."

"I'm telling you; she's pregnant." Worm chimed in.

"Shut up Worm!" Kenyon didn't want the whole team to know.

"Alright, guys! That's it for today!" Coach Carter interrupted them.

"Remember practice at 6 am tomorrow!"

Everyone once again groaned as Coach Carter left the gym.

"I am not ready for a 6 am practice yo." Worm said.

"You ain't lyin," Jason said back.

AJ watched them as they made their way to the lockers to take showers. At least, she hoped some of them did; they stunk to high heaven. She finished placing the basketballs on the rack. She looked around; everything was finished. She still had to wash the practice jerseys, but the washer and dryer were located in the boy's locker room, so she had to wait until everyone was out of there. What better way to kill time then doing something she likes. She took a look at the basketball rack. Then looked around, the gym was empty. She took a basketball and began to dribble and shoot.

She practiced her old drills that she used to play when she went to Hercules. She immediately began to feel better as if all of her problems were melting away. She continued playing, but she was unaware that Coach Carter was watching her. He knew she used to play at Hercules, but he didn't know that she was this good. She was better than some of the boys on his roster.

He watched her for a little bit. He couldn't help but notice there was something a little off about her. He began to think about what Principal Garrison said about her being involved in a shooting. He was going to have to keep an eye on her, especially since she had gotten into a fight with Timo on her first day of school.

He went back into his office. AJ finished all of her tasks, and she wasn't bothering anyone, so he didn't disturb her.

When he arrived in his office, he began to look if anyone left anything on his desk. He was hoping for the progress reports that he has been asking Principal Garrison for, but of course, he got nothing. He was going to have to have another talk with her about this. This was something he took very seriously. He wanted his team to go to college.

Damien walked into his office.

"Hey dad, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah just give me a few minutes here son." Coach Carter answered. "What do you know about AJ? She's in your class right?"

Damien shook his head. "No sir, she's a sophomore, but I have a few classes with her."

"Did she mention anything about her old school?" Coach Carter asked.

"No sir," Damien answered his father. "All I know is that she went to Hercules. You don't think she was involved in that shooting do you?"

Coach Carter sighed, "She was."

He took a good look at his only son. It didn't take long for him to figure out what was going on.

"Damien, I know you're at the age where girls are the only thing on your mind, but I want you to focus on your studies, ok? You'll have plenty of time for girls when you are in college."

Damien sighed and lowered his head. There was no hiding that he had a crush on AJ. He couldn't keep a secret from his dad even if his life depended on it. It wasn't surprising that his father said something about it.

"Yes, sir." He quietly said. There was no arguing back with his father. Whatever he said, goes. He did like AJ, and since she's now the new manager or the basketball team, it was going to be hard for him not to talk to her, even if it was against his father's wishes.

* * *

It was a late, cold winter night. Timo was walking down the street to meet up with his cousin Renny to give him his money for all of the deals he made tonight. He was a little sore from doing all of those push-ups and suicides, but that would never stop him from making money. He was getting a little impatient with Renny taking too long.

"Hey." He heard the familiar voice of his ex-girlfriend Chanel.

Timo turned to look at her. He was still angry with her for hooking up with Worm just days after they broke up.

"What's up?" He greeted with no emotion.

"I was cheering with the girls, but I didn't see you play what's up?" Chanel asked seductively.

"Aint none of your business," Timo answered coldly.

"You don't gotta be like that." Chanel smiled, she knew Timo was mad at him, but that was when she found him most sexy. It was always easy for her to win him back every time they had a fight.

Timo tried to look away from her, but she was making it hard to do so.

"Be like what?" He asked coldly.

"Mean, like you don't like me anymore," Chanel said back.

Timo sighed, he did like Chanel a lot, but he was getting tired of the back and forth. They have had this roller coaster of a relationship for almost two years. Despite her inability to be faithful, she was always there for him when he needed someone. She was the only sense of love he ever had. There was no way he could be done with her completely.

"What? Worm wasn't enough for you?" He asked rudely.

Chanel put her arms around him and pulled him close. "I don't like Worm; I just did it because I was mad. You know I love you, babe."

Timo knew very well Chanel wasn't going to get the 'I love you' back she has been wanting since they started dating. He never said that to her ever because she always had other guys and it was hard for him to do so. If she were his and his only, maybe things would be different.

"Whatchu want? I got shit to do," He said rudely.

"Waiting on Renny?" Chanel asked.

"Yeah, I wish his ass would hurry up!" Timo raised his voice.

"Well, do you wanna chill when you get done? My mom's not gonna be home tonight."

Timo scoffed, "Your mom ain't never home."

"I know, don't you miss it? Being alone with me?"

Timo wasn't going to deny it. Chanel was very sexy and that was one of the reasons why he took her back every time she did cheat. One thing he did enjoy was the very steamy nights they would have in her bedroom when her mom wasn't home. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only guy who has experienced these many fun nights. He knew it would be smart not to go with her tonight, but she was offering herself so he might as well take it. He could use her to relieve himself of all this pent up frustration.

"Yeah. I guess that's cool." Timo answered as Renny finally pulled up in his car.

"Took ya ass long enough," Timo said as he approached Renny and handed him the money.

"My bad little cousin had to take care of some people tonight. I don't like people messin with my money you know this, bro." Renny answered back as he counted his money. He was pleased with Timo's profit.

"Hey, can you take me and Chanel to her crib?" Timo asked.

Renny looked at Chanel with disgust. He didn't like this girl that was playing love games with his little cousin. He wanted to say no, but he respected Timo's wishes.

"Yeah. I can."

Timo and Chanel got in Renny's car, and they drove off into the night.

* * *

"Just put the gun down, okay!" AJ said in fear as she moved closer to him, trying to reason with him. Attempting to save herself and her friend

"Getcho ass back bitch! I will shoot!" He yelled as he pointed the gun at her.

"Just let us go!" AJ's friend yelled. "Please!"

"Come on." AJ tried again, "There's no need for this we didn't do anything. We're innocent, we promise. Just put the gun down!"

"Please let us go!" Her friend repeated, shaking with fear.

"We'll figure everything out okay? Just please put the gun down! You're gonna go to jail for this!"

He stood there with the gun pointed at her friend; he slowly put it down. It seemed as though he was reasoning with her.

AJ felt relieved. She saved herself, her best friend and the whole school.

"Let's figure this-"

Seconds later he raised the gun and shot her best friend in the head.

AJ grabbed the gun, but he was holding on to it as well. They both continued to wrestle until...

BANG!

A second shot went off, and AJ's hands and shirt were immediately covered in blood. She looked at her dead best friend and him and screamed…

Sweat rolls down her face as AJ awakens from her nightmare. The same nightmare she has been having since the shooting. The same nightmare that has been keeping her from a peaceful slumber for a long, long time. She immediately got out of bed and made her way into the kitchen. She turned on the light and opened the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of Dr. Pepper. She went into the living room and decided to watch TV. She was even more mortified at what she saw.

" _Tonight on Action News at 11. An exclusive look at the tragic shooting at Hercules High School in Pinole."_

"Oh my God," AJ said as she went into her coat to pull her small bag of weed that she had left over and began to roll her joint. She was going to need it tonight.

" _It was a quiet Friday morning here at Hercules High School, but it was interrupted by a student roaming the halls with a gun. A few students claimed that he was affiliated with a gang, and was out for revenge due to his brother being stabbed weeks before. While roaming the halls, he was stopped by two students, one of them tried to stop him from shooting, but, unfortunately, two shots were fired, and two students were found dead at the scene. One student, however, was still alive, falsely accused and taken into custody for the murder of these students. After a lengthy trial, this student was proven innocent, charges were dropped, and the student was released from juvenile detention. The names of these students cannot be released."_

AJ began to panic. She hoped that none of the students and parents from Richmond were watching the news tonight. She was almost sure that Coach was watching and that he was going to ask her about it tomorrow. She began to think about being in juvie for three months and how much she hated it there. It felt endless like she was there for years. She never wanted to go back, not even to visit anyone. She was haunted by her cellmates and the many fights she had while being in juvie. She felt hopeless and depressed. She was a good student, star basketball player on the honor roll who got caught in a gang shooting that had nothing to do with here and there she was in juvie being falsely accused. Juvie was no place for anyone.

She did learn a few things in juvie, how to fight. She began to think about the countless fights she had because her cellmates didn't like her face, or her hair, or whatever the case may be. Her skin was a little thicker by being there too. Unfortunately, being called a murderer by her fellow students got the best of her. There were also rumors floating around that the gang that the shooter was affiliated with were after her. She and her mother packed up and moved to Richmond to start over, but she wasn't sure how long that was going to last if everyone found out.

She picked up the phone and called her mom.

"Vintage Estates Nursing Home, this is Michelle how can I help you?"

AJ was relieved to hear her mother's voice.

"Mom."

"Hey baby, are you okay? Are you having trouble sleeping again? You didn't take your meds did you?"

AJ sighed, "No." She answered.

"Amber, you need to take them, that's the only way you're gonna get better," Michelle said to her daughter.

"Mom, they did another news story on the shooting," AJ changed the subject quickly.

Michelle sighed. She didn't want AJ to see any more new stories about the Hercules shooting, but it was inevitable. This was a topic that the news was probably going to cover for awhile.

"Don't worry baby, they can't release any names. Nobody will know," Michelle tried to calm her daughter down.

"What if they figure it out, what it the team sees it? What if the Principal sees it? What if they want to ask me about it? I don't wanna live through this again and I don't wanna-!"

"Amber baby, breathe," Michelle tried to calm her down again. "You don't have to say anything to anyone if you don't want to, but Ms. Garrison is a sweet lady. You _can_ talk to her. By the way, how was your first day of school and basketball team manager?"

"You knew about that?" AJ asked her mom in confusion.

"I got Principal Garrison on board," Michelle answered, not wanting to tell AJ because she was scared of her reaction.

"Ugh, mom!"

"I know you hate when I meddle, but you've been through a lot, and I figured being around something you love will help you get your spark back," Michelle whispered, not wanting her co-workers to hear her conversation.

"Mom, I have better things to do than be a maid for the boys basketball team." AJ darted.

"Just give a try. It'll keep you busy. Take your mind off everything."

"Yeah I guess," AJ said. She wasn't in the mood for arguing with her mom tonight.

"Your father called me," Michelle said. "He wants you to see him. You missed your visit last month; you're not missing this month."

AJ scoffed. The last thing she wanted to think about was her father. She remembers watching him leave after arguing with her mom when she was eight years old. Two years later he ends up getting a twenty-five to life sentence, and AJ has been visiting him every month since. Unless she can find an excuse to get out of it, which was never possible.

"Yeah sure whatever," AJ answered back.

"I gotta get back to work sweetie, do you want me to call Kyra? Ask her to stay with you?"

AJ rolled her eyes. "Mom I'll be sixteen soon. I can manage."

"I know, but I worry about you, sweetie," Michelle said with concern.

"I'm fine. I'll let you get to work, don't forget to sign my contract for this manager maid thing since you want me to do it so bad."

Michelle laughed, "Okay smart mouth, off to bed, you got school in the morning. I love you."

"I love you too mom."

AJ hung up the phone and directed her attention to the tv, changing the channel, looking for something better to watch. She lit up her joint and began to smoke. This was the only medication that seemed to be calming her down.


	8. Gifted

**CHAPTER 8: GIFTED**

AJ was the first in the gym. She had to set up equipment for the team to warm up. She was feeling very sleepy due to the lack of sleep from the night before. She felt a little odd being that she was wearing the clothes she slept in, but she planned on changing after practice was over.

"Hey AJ!" She heard Damien's echo throughout the gym as he approached her.

"Hey!" She greeted back, "Either you're a morning person, or you had some strong coffee today."

"I'm a morning person," Damien answered. "Kinda like my dad."

AJ laughed a little, "Yeah I figured."

"Damien Carter, two minutes, then start your layups okay?" Coach Carter came in the gym.

"Yes, sir," Damien answered with a little annoyance in his voice.

"Your dad is something else," AJ said as she continued setting up the gym equipment.

Damien sighed, he agreed with AJ a little bit, especially when he enforced the 'no girls' rule. How can a fifteen-year-old boy get through high school without talking to girls? Especially when the one he likes was right in front of him, and in three of his classes."Yeah but he means well, sometimes."

Damien was tongue tied, it was still so hard for him to think of something to talk about. He wasn't even sure if AJ was interested in him, she was hard to read. Her face was always stone cold. It was hard to tell how she was feeling or if she was feeling any emotions at all. Something definitely happened to her during the Hercules shooting, but he knew it was best if he didn't ask her about it. The last thing he wanted was for her to live through it again.

"So did you get caught up with Science? I know you had a lot of work."

AJ sighed, "Yeah it was a lot. I got most of it done. I like science, though. It's my favorite."

Damien smiled from ear to ear. She was pretty and liked science. She was the total package, "Yeah me too."

Damien's two minutes were up, and he had to practice his layups. Just his luck, as soon as he finds something to talk about with AJ, he has to practice. The rest of the team started to arrive and also began practicing their layups. Timo arrived shortly after them, he was quiet. His primary focus was to finish his suicides and push ups.

Jason was the last to arrive. He was almost late due to him sleeping past his alarm. The visit with his jailed father usually took all of his energy. He hated his dad, and he hated visiting him, especially after yesterday when he told him some startling news. If he had his way, he wouldn't visit him at all. He took a glance at AJ, who was setting up the equipment for warm ups. She seemed like she was really sweet. He couldn't help but wonder why she looked so angry all the time. He remembers watching her play on the Hercules team when he used to date Jasmine. She was excellent, the best player on their team in fact. She looked so happy when she was playing, but she doesn't seem that way now.

He watched her gather some more equipment, but she couldn't carry everything and ended up dropping a few things. Some of the players laughed, but Jason ran to help her.

"I gotchu.," He said as picked up the equipment that she dropped.

AJ smiled, it was nice to know that someone on this team other than Kenyon and Damien has a soul.

"Thanks," She said as he neatly put some of the items on the bench. "I'm usually more coordinated, but I'm still sleeping. It's way too early."

"Yeah I can tell you forgot to get dressed," Jason joked. He looked back at Coach Carter, who was ready to start practice.

"I gotta go."

"Thanks again," AJ said back as she began to watch the team warm up. She started to wonder if this was basketball practice or boot camp. She watched them perform various drills in each area of the gym. The squeaks of their sneakers from running all over the gym began to soothe her a little bit. She missed hearing that sound. She began to think about when she used to practice when she played for Hercules. Practice wasn't as early and grueling, though.

She suddenly turned her attention to Timo who was still doing endless suicides and push ups. He really had a lot to do and he wasn't going to finish by Friday no matter how hard he tried. A small part of her felt sorry, but she still thought about him throwing food on her yesterday and all the mean things he said to her. She was annoyed that she had to watch him during practice so she can keep count. She wouldn't mind seeing him fail.

She sat in a chair and opened her backpack. She pulled out a green notebook and opened to a blank page and began drawing. She immediately felt at ease. Drawing was another outlet for her. It helped her deal with the harsh reality of being in juvie. After 30 minutes of practicing their layups, Coach stopped them by blowing his whistle.

''Okay young sirs!" Coach Carter began. "We're going to work on our offense this morning."

The team groaned, considering that they have been having a hard time getting a particular play together. Even Coach was stumped; he was having a hard time figuring out what the issue was.

"We're gonna run 'Linda' again." Coach announced. He blew his whistle and AJ looked up from her drawing to watch them. They ran through the play once, and everyone was still baffled, not getting the results they were looking for.

"This play ain't workin'," Jason complained of frustration.

"Sir." Coach corrected him, also showing the same amount of frustration.

" _Sir,_ " Jason said back while rolling his eyes.

AJ knew exactly what the problem was. She was reluctant to share, but she had to give it a shot.

"Coach, can I say something?" AJ asked timidly, afraid of the answer she was going to get.

Coach turned to her, "Yes, Ms. Green?"

"Uhh," She was nervous, she wasn't sure if Coach or the team would be open to this new idea she had, but she was sure it would work.

"Why don't you have Damien and Jason switch places. Instead of Damien moves right, he moves left and have Jason move right. You know what I mean?"

Coach looked confused. "What would be the difference between Mr. Carter and Mr. Lyle?"

AJ had a very logical explanation of why this would work, but she knew it was going to take some time explaining all the details.

"In transition, Damien's faster than Jason, and he also has a better chance of making this shot. You can Have Damien move right, instead of left, he could come off the ball screen, score hit Junior on the short roll, which is probably the best option, or draw and kick to Worm. Jason's speed isn't exactly up to par for this play."

Coach Carter was still confused; he understood completely what AJ was saying, unlike the rest of the team. He was confused as to how she knows so much about basketball plays; her knowledge was impressive.

"And how do you know that Ms. Green?" Coach asked.

Timo, who was still doing his suicides, looked back at them, he wasn't impressed. Who does she think she is changing plays? What does she know about basketball?

AJ shrugged, this was a hard question to answer. She had her unique view of fundamentals when it came to basketball. She would have a hard time explaining to Coach and the team that she excels in math and physics which has helped her excel in basketball. Unfortunately, that didn't always work well with her teammates. Anytime she corrected a play; she was teased, especially when she was right.

Whenever she was benched, she would carefully watch the game and was quickly able to calculate the team's free throw percentage. She was also able to determine the chances of a basket scored based on the location of the person and who was shooting the ball. How could she explain that to the team? Especially these guys.

When she attended Hercules, she was often called a freak or weird. Her mom would tell her that she's gifted and should never be ashamed of being so intelligent, but it was hard for her to fit in with most of the student body. The only time they seemed to like her was when she helped her team get to Nationals last year.

"Uhh, just something I picked up while watching a game at home," AJ answered not wanting to explain herself. "It's just a suggestion; you don't have to try it. Just thought it would help."

Coach Carter was impressed, why not try her way? Maybe she was right.

"Alright, Mr. Lyle Mr. Carter switch places this time! On my whistle!"

Coach blew his whistle loudly as Damien and Jason did as they were told. This time, they achieved the results they have been working on for days.

The team was impressed, especially Damien. AJ was the girl of his dreams as far as he was concerned.

"Well, what do you know?" Coach said impressed as well. "Thank you, Ms. Green that was very helpful."

Timo continued running his suicides, but he was still not impressed. As far as he was concerned, he was the basketball expert. So she caught on to a play while watching a game on TV, big deal. She was probably one of those girls who watched sports just to get attention from guys. Within in short time he has known her, he was completely annoyed with her, but for now, he had to focus on getting back on the team. Then he could show her who runs this team.

Coach Carter blew his whistle, signaling that practice was over. The team, sweating and breathing heavily, were relieved.

"Great job this morning gentlemen." Coach said to his team. "You guys are doing well. Remember, practice today at 3! If you're not here before 2:55 you are late! Get some water and hit the showers!"

The team quickly began to line up at the cooler where AJ prepared them small cups of water.

"So what was up with that?" Worm asked.

AJ sighed, she knew someone was going to ask her how she was able to figure out what was wrong with the play. She didn't feel like explaining herself. These guys wouldn't understand anyway. Sometimes she couldn't understand herself.

"I watched a game at home," She answered.

"Well, that was really cool!" Worm exclaimed. "Let me find out you know a little somethin!"

"Yeah, it was, even though you kinda dissed me," Jason said.

AJ sulked a bit, she already has drama with Timo. The last thing she wanted was to have drama with anyone else on this team. She wasn't trying to be mean when she said that Damien was faster than Jason.

"Sorry." She shrugged, "But you can get better. Just work on your free throws and run a little more."

Jason laughed a little, he wasn't upset with AJ at all. He saw first hand that she was an excellent basketball player so she knows her stuff.

"I'm just kidding it's cool."

The rest of the team laughed a little too, except for one person.

"I guess you think you know everything about basketball huh?"

AJ sighed with annoyance, leave it to Timo to try to upset her when she was starting to be okay with being here with all these boys.

"No, I don't think I know everything, but I know a lot more than you." She snapped at him.

Timo scoffed, "Like what?"

"Like how to shut up," AJ darted. She was getting sick of him. She was hoping that he wouldn't finish his push ups and suicides and not make the team so she wouldn't have to put up with him.

"Whatever little brat!" Timo darted back, "You probably one of them bitches that watch games just to get some dick! You don't know shit about basketball!"

"Yo, watch your mouth dawg!" Jason chimed in angry at the way Timo was talking to AJ.

"Ain't nobody talkin' to you Lyle!" Timo began to raise his voice. "I'll beat ya ass to the curb!"

Jason stepped to him ready for a fight.

"Well whatchu' wanna do then?"

The two of them began to fight, but Kenyon and Worm quickly got in between them.

"Chill man," Kenyon said. "Y'all can't be fighting like this."

"Yeah chill, Cruz." Worm said to Timo.

Timo snatched away from Worm and left to the locker room angry.

"You gotta stop too." Kenyon turned to AJ.

"I didn't do anything!" AJ snapped back, "And what about what he said to me?"

"I'll talk to him, but you keep saying something back! Just don't say nothin to him!" Kenyon said.

AJ rolled her eyes, "Fine. Whatever," She said as the rest of the team made their way to the locker room. Jason, however, stayed with AJ.

AJ looked up at him. It was nice that he was defended her. It was nice that she had someone on her side.

"Thanks," She said.

Jason put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't mention it. He's a punk. You ain't gotta worry about him when I'm around."

He left the gym, and AJ began cleaning up the equipment. She wasn't sure how to feel about Jason. Why was he so nice to her? Was this his way of showing that he liked her? Jason was cute, but she liked Damien and she didn't want to do anything that would hurt him. Maybe being the team manager wasn't a good idea after all. Confusion continues to grow in her mind as she continues to clean up and prepare for practice this afternoon.


	9. She's My Sister

**CHAPTER 9: "SHE'S MY SISTER."**

History was Jason's least favorite class. He wasn't even paying attention to Ms. Sherman's lecture. Usually, he would be ditching class with his girlfriend Bella, but he had other things on his mind, particularly his visit with his father in jail. He wasn't expecting his father to tell him that Amber Green was one of Jason's many siblings. He knew his father was irresponsible and dated many women at the same time, but this takes the cake. His heart sank when he heard those words come out of his mouth. He didn't want to believe it.

He began to reflect on his childhood. After his mother had passed away of cancer, he was immediately sent to live with his Uncle Willie. He never knew why his father never wanted Jason to live with him. It hurt him when he was younger, but as he grew older, he began to grow numb and not feel anything towards his father's abandonment.

He had very brief visits with his father and had often been introduced to the many women that were in his life at the time. There was one particular woman his father introduced him to, and her name was Michelle. He remembers them being together for many years and she even lived with him. After some time, they did have a baby girl. He had no idea that AJ was that little girl. Jason was angry at his father for not telling him this until now. He knew for a fact that AJ didn't know. They both were small children at the time, and they never saw each other growing up.

He felt a mix of emotions. He wasn't sure how to go about any of this. He wasn't sure how he felt about being a big brother. He wasn't sure if he should tell AJ right away. He began to wonder how AJ would feel. Would she be mad at him for knowing before she did? He also began to think about the shooting at Hercules. Maybe something bad happened to her, so she had to be transferred to Richmond. Would she be in the right state of mind to accept that she had an older brother she never knew about?

He couldn't help but defend her at practice this morning when Timo was picking on her. He didn't like Timo anyway. Anytime Timo said anything to her was a good reason to fight him.

"Yo J what's up man? You cool?" Kenyon's voice interrupted Jason's many thoughts.

He shook his head. "Nah dawg, I got a lot on my mind."

"Stuff with ya pops again?" Kenyon asked.

Jason sighed, he knew that Kenyon's girlfriend Kyra was also AJ's cousin. He began to ask Kenyon if he knew anything about AJ. Then seconds later he decided it wasn't a good idea.

"Yeah, somethin' like that. I wish I didn't have to see his ass, dawg, so stressful."

"Yeah man, but, at least, you got your dad. I don't even know where mine is." Kenyon said with a bit of sadness in his voice.

"He's just a pain in the ass man," Jason began. "I don't even like goin' around there to see him."

Kenyon was silent for a few seconds. He couldn't tell Jason how to feel about his father. He did feel sorry, knowing Jason's troubled past.

"Then my uncle, actin' all weird and shit. I don't know what's up with him."

Kenyon was still silent. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could say to lift Jason's spirits. He lived a pretty decent life other than his own father running out on him so it was hard for him to understand.

"I'm sorry man." He finally said.

Jason ignored him, he couldn't stand being in this room listening Ms. Sherman ramble for one more second. He got up from his seat, took the hall pass and left the classroom, not paying attention to anyone. He didn't have to go to the bathroom, but he just wanted to get out of continued slowly walking down the hallway for a good five minutes, constantly thinking about his visit with his father and AJ. He wasn't sure what to do, and it weighed on him heavily.

"Mr. Lyle!"

Coach' Carter's gruff voice from behind scared him. He quickly turned around to see Coach walking towards him.

"Why aren't you in class sir?" He asked.

Jason rolled his eyes; he needed a good excuse for this one, "I'm just gonna get my Geometry book."

"Sir." Coach corrected him.

" _Sir_ ," Jason said back in annoyance.

"While I've got you, I wanted to let you know that you did a really good thing sticking up for AJ this morning. She has been going through some things lately and it's good to know she has someone on her side." Coach began to think about what he saw on the news last night. He knew the student that survived the shooting and went to juvie was AJ and that is the reason why she has been transferred to Richmond. He was definitely going to have to talk to her about it at practice.

Jason shrugged. He was trying his best to act as though he didn't care, but he couldn't help it. It was hard for him to see AJ getting picked on. It was even harder for him now because he knows that she is his little sister.

"Ain't no thang," He finally answered.

Coach couldn't help but noticed that Jason was holding something back. He looked as though he was stressed and did not get enough sleep.

"Is everything okay Mr. Lyle? You know you can talk to me."

Jason was silent for awhile. He was aware that Coach could help him, but he wasn't sure what to say.

"Just some family problems, that's all."

Coach nodded, he knew most of his players have been though a lot in their lives. This is exactly why he took this job. He wanted to show them that there is more to life than being a thug and a criminal and that they don't have to grow up like their parents. He knew some of the players had parents that didn't even care about their well being and that's something he wanted to bring as well. He wanted to be the father figure that none of these young men had.

"Do you want to talk about it, sir?" Coach asked

Jason sighed, he didn't know what to think, everything was so confusing.

"Well, whatever it is, don't let it distract you. You have been doing really well lately." Coach said to him. "I'm looking for two people to become captain and co-captain of the team, and I think you and Mr. Stone are good candidates, so keep it up."

"She's my sister, sir," Jason blurted. He was a bit taken after he said it, but he felt like he couldn't hold it in anymore. He needed to talk about it with someone.

Coach turned around, "What did you say, sir?"

"I, um, think AJ is my sister, sir," Jason repeated.

Coach was a bit surprised. He completely understood why Jason stood up for her. It was his natural instinct to do so. He wasn't sure if he had the answer to this one, this situation is definitely something he cannot control, but he was going to do anything he can to help.

"How do you know that, sir?" He asked.

"I went to see my dad in prison yesterday, and he heard about the shooting and he told me," Jason answered. "I don't know what to do now like I don't know if she knows, I mean should I talk to her? Should I talk to her mom? I mean this is crazy dawg!"

"Calm down Mr. Lyle," Coach began. He could feel Jason's energy getting intense. He couldn't blame him, this was an emotional situation. He wanted to make sure Jason did the right thing instead of making an impulsive decision that could do more harm than good. He began to feel sorry for Jason and AJ. It is very upsetting that both of them have gone this long without knowing they were siblings, both of them have been through enough. "Maybe you should talk to her mother first. If AJ knew about this, then she would have said something to you."

Jason sighed, leave it to Coach for always knowing what to say. He had to talk to Ms. Michelle first. That was the best way to go. He was a little afraid of the outcome considering that she is no longer dating his father. He was sure that their breakup ended badly and Michelle most likely hates him, just like every other woman he impregnates and abandons.

"Yeah true." Jason said, now knowing what to do next. He had to talk to Kyra and ask where AJ lives or he could, at least, get Kenyon to get her on board with the idea. Maybe he can talk to both of them together.

"You need to get to class, sir." Coach ordered him. "We'll talk later, after practice."

"Yes, sir," Jason answered as he walked away, "Thanks."

Coach nodded as he walked the opposite way.

Jason had to go back to class and talk to Kenyon. He knew AJ is going to find out eventually and he needed all of the help and advice he could get.

Science class was quiet because Mr. Gessick did not want any talking. AJ was finishing up her assignments she needed to make up. It was hard for her to concentrate because she had a lot on her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about Jason being so nice to her this morning. It also dawned on her that she had the same last name as her father. She began to wonder if maybe they could be related, chances are they wouldn't be. He just probably has the same last name. There are millions of people who have the same last name and are not related. It wouldn't hurt to ask, though, since she is going to visit her father after practice today.

She also couldn't get the images of the news out of her head. She didn't want anyone to know that she went to juvie for murdering three students at Hercules. The fact that she was proven innocent didn't matter. She was the only one that went to juvie. As far as everyone else was concerned, she was guilty. She just wanted all of this to go away, but the flashbacks were not helping at all.

"Hey AJ!" Damien whispered, interrupting her many thoughts. "Are you okay?"

AJ turned to him and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine, just tired."

"Thanks for helping with practice this morning," Damien said with a smile.

"Oh, no problem," AJ answered back.

"No, seriously, thank you," Damien repeated. "My dad was hounding me all night about it. I can finally get some peace."

AJ laughed, "Well, I'm very happy that you now have peace in your household."

Damien laughed a little bit. He couldn't help but laugh at anything AJ said, even if it wasn't funny. He was also trying her best not to stare at her, but he couldn't help it. She was cute. She had really light brown eyes and her long curly hair got the best of him. He wanted to know more about her, but he knew it was going to be hard to come by. His father's no girls rule were definitely going to make things hard. It was also hard for him to tell if she really liked him or not.

"Was your dad in the military?" AJ asked.

"Yeah, he was in the Navy for like 20 years," Damien answered.

"Everything makes sense now," AJ said back.

"Mr. Carter, Ms. Green am I gonna have to separate you two?" Mr. Gessick heard them talking.

"Sorry, sir," Damien said to him.

They both continued working on their assignments. Damien was not one to break the rules of the classroom, but things were going well with AJ, and he didn't want to blow it.

"Hey!" He leaned over to her and whispered. "Do you want to get a slice of pizza after practice or something?"

AJ sulked, she would like nothing more than to hang out with Damien, but she couldn't.

"I'd like to, but I have something I have to do. It's family stuff, maybe tomorrow?"

Damien looked disappointed which made AJ feel bad. "It's my dad, he's in jail. I have to visit him today, mom's orders."

AJ felt weird after saying that. She didn't want to tell him that her dad was locked up, but she didn't want to give him the impression that she was lying to blow him off.

"Wow. I'm sorry to hear that." Damien said. "That must suck."

AJ sighed, "Yeah, it does. He went away when I was eight, been there ever since."

"Well, you gotta do what you gotta do. We can go tomorrow, it's fine." Damien said with a smile.

"Mr. Carter and Ms. Green, this is your last warning! I'm not going to ask you again!" Mr. Gessick said with a firm voice.

AJ and Damien looked at each other and silently laughed. Damien was enjoying this sudden thrill of getting in trouble for the first time.

* * *

The Vintage Estates Nursing Center was Michelle's second home. She was working the day shift so she was excited that she was going to be home for the night. She finished giving medications to her last patient and made her way back to the nurses station in her wing where her sister Monica was going through files.

"Ms. Geneva giving everyone a hard time today?" Monica asked.

"She's not bad today," Michelle answered back.

"That's a first," Monica said as they both chuckled a bit.

"I'm heading out in a few minutes, do you want me to go by your house? Check on AJ?"

Michelle shook her head. "She at basketball practice, then she's gotta visit her father."

Monica sighed, she didn't want to talk to her younger sister about her cheating ex-fiance, but there was something she needed to say.

"Have you talked to her about that?" Monica and Michelle left the nurses station and entered the foyer. It was a bit secluded, so they were able to have their conversation.

"What exactly do I need to talk to her about?" Michelle asked, quickly getting annoyed with the direction this conversation is going.

"About Frank's son," Monica answered. "Kyra told me she talked to him today."

Michelle grunted, "She didn't tell him anything did she?"

Monica shook her head, "No, of course not, but they're both at the same school and on the basketball team. They're going to figure it out sooner or later. How long did you think you were going to be able to keep this a secret?"

"Look Mon, I don't want her around him okay?" Michelle darted. "It's bad enough I have to deal with Frank and these monthly visits with AJ."

"Yeah, and he's probably gonna tell her too! You have to say something!" Monica said with concern.

Michelle sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I mean, you must have known this day was gonna come." Monica continued.

Michelle let out another sigh. She knew deep down Frank's son, and AJ was going to meet once she transferred to Richmond. She didn't want AJ anywhere near Frank's other children, but it seemed as though this was the inevitable.

"Look, he's not like Frank," Monica began, "He's not abandoning his family. Maybe you should give him a chance. Let him get to know his little sister."

Michelle wiped a tear. She began to think about all of the horrible things Frank put her through, from the cheating with multiple women and the drama with the mothers of those children to drugs and drinking and watching him being thrown in jail, that was the final straw. She knew she had to leave him for good. He was destroying her mentally, and it was the best decision she ever made. The last thing she wanted was to be around anyone that reminded her of him. She didn't want her only child to be around them either.

"I gotta get going," Monica said as she grabbed her coat. "I gotta go check on Kyra."

"Still not feeling well?" Michelle asked.

Yeah, I'm not sure what's going on with her." Monica began to walk away, but she turned around as if she forgot something. "Oh, can you sign for the food delivery today? Helen is out sick, should be here in a few minutes."

Michelle nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Talk to AJ tonight, okay?" Monica said as she left.

"Yeah, I will," Michelle said back as she made her way to the kitchen. There were only two chefs in the kitchen preparing the meals. It was not lunchtime, so the dietary aides were on break.

"Hey, Vic." She approached one of the chefs. "Did the order come in yet?"

Vic looked at her. "Yeah, right at the dock."

"Thanks," She said as she made her way back to the dock. Where a large truck was parked and three men were unloading the truck.

"Hi, did you guys want me to sign for the order?" She asked one of them.

She paused for a second when she saw someone very familiar approaching her with a clipboard. Willie Lyle, Frank's brother.

"I can't believe this," She murmured, she noticed he was shocked when he saw her as well.

"Hello, Michelle," Willie said to her as he handed her the clipboard.

"Willie." Michelle greeted back with no emotion as she signed the clipboard and supervised them unloading the truck.

"It's been awhile," Willie said.

Michelle didn't say anything, she just nodded. Today was just not her day, listening to Monica talk about Frank and now she has to look at his brother.

"I heard about the shooting. How is AJ?" Willie asked.

Michelle sighed. She was trying her best not to be mad, but every time she looked at Willie, she thought of Frank and it aggravated her.

"She's doing good."

Willie sighed, he knew that AJ is now going to Richmond, the same school as his nephew. He knew for a fact that Michelle didn't tell AJ because of her hatred for Frank.

"You gotta tell her Michelle," Willie said with a stern voice. "She's gonna find out sooner or later."

Michelle rolled her eyes. It was bad enough she had to hear this from Monica, now she had to hear this from Willie too.

"I don't see how this has anything to do with you," She said to him angrily.

"Because I'm taking care of Jason and he told me what Frank said. He honestly wants to get to know his sister and I don't see anything wrong with that."

Michelle shook her head in anger. "You Lyles do nothing but ruin people's lives; you're not about to ruin my daughter's."

Willie was now angry. He knew that Frank and Michelle's relationship was bumpy and had a bad ending, but it was no reason to be angry with everyone that is related to him. It was no reason for her to keep AJ away from her brother.

"Look, I get that you're upset with Frank. He can be a douche, but you can't take that out on the kids. They have a right to know!"

Michelle was now annoyed. She was sick of everyone telling her what to do regarding her child that she has been raising on her own for almost sixteen years.

"Well, I don't care! I don't want her around you guys! Period! Now can we get back to work please?"

Willie sighed, Michelle was still stubborn as ever. There was no point in arguing with her because she was always right, even when she is wrong.

"Alright," Willie answered, "But this is gonna hurt AJ. You need to talk to her."

"You need to mind your business," Michelle said as she continued to supervise Willie and his other co-workers unloading the truck. She began to panic a little bit because she knew AJ is going to visit her father after basketball practice. As much as Willie and Monica annoyed him, they were both right. AJ is going to find out sooner or later and she may not have the best reaction. No matter what happens, all she can do is be there for her daughter like she has always been.


	10. Dark Cloud

**CHAPTER 10: DARK CLOUD**

2:45 approached quickly as AJ arrived at the gym. She quickly began setting up. She was happy that she didn't have the place cones and jump ropes all over the court because the team had to practice their free throws. She was a little annoyed about having to refill the water cooler.

She let out a long sigh. It's been a long day and she knew it was going to be longer because she had to visit her dad after practice. She really wasn't looking forward to it, but she would rather do it now and get it over with and not have to do it later on in the month.

"Ms. Green, right on time." Coach Carter came into the gym.

"Oh, yeah," AJ shrugged. "That's me, miss always on time."

"Do you have a minute?" Coach asked.

AJ shrugged, she had no choice but to listen to him.

"Have a seat." Coach said as they both sat on the bleachers. He wasn't sure how this was going to go considering her lack of emotion for anything. He also knew it was normal for some trauma victims to act as if nothing is wrong, especially teenagers, they never want to talk to adults about their problems anyway.

AJ was confused, "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"No Ms. Green, you have been excellent."

"Ok," AJ said with confusion. "So what's the problem?"

Coach sighed, he knew AJ probably didn't want to talk about what happened at Hercules, but he couldn't help but feel bad for. She seemed like a bright young lady with a promising future, and it was hard to picture her in juvenile detention.

"I, um saw the news last night. They were doing a story on the Hercules shooting."

AJ rolled her eyes. She was hoping nobody would see it on the news, but she also wasn't surprised. Coach seems to be the type of guy that knows everything even when you try to keep a secret.

"Great," She said. "Now you know, which means everyone is gonna know, which means I have to deal with-."

"That sort of tragedy is hard to keep a secret Ms. Green." Coach said back.

AJ was angry, she made it her mission to keep the shooting a secret. She didn't want to be called a murderer. Every single student at Hercules called her a murderer. Even some of the teachers had some concerns about her. She didn't want to have to explain what happened and still be labeled guilty anyway.

"Well, I don't want to talk about it." She said abruptly and looked away, trying to hold back tears.

Coach was silent for a moment. He couldn't force her to talk about this if she didn't want to.

"Have you talked to anyone at all?"

AJ shook her head. "Just my mom, my aunt and my cousin, they have their own problems and moms always at work so sometimes I can't reach her."

"Well, if you ever want to talk, I'm am here."

AJ shrugged once again. She's heard that line before. AJ learned the hard way that most people never cared about her well being. They were just nosy and wanted something to gossip about. Coach seemed genuine, but she just wasn't in the mood to dump all of her problems on him. He has enough on his plate with this rowdy basketball team. She remained silent as Coach pulled a card out of his pocket.

"This is the teen youth center that my son volunteers at. They have a support group every Tuesday and Thursday evening for trauma victims and survivors. I think it will definitely help with everything you're going through."

AJ looked at the card. She wanted to throw it away, but she decided put it in her pocket. "Me? Therapy? Not much to think about, sir. I'm not going to whine to complete strangers about my problems."

Coach was ready with a reply, but some of the players were entering the gym and beginning to warm up.

"Well Ms. Green, if you ever change your mind, you have the information, but it's not good to keep your emotions bottled up. Eventually, you will end up lashing out and it is completely destructive and unhealthy. You need a healthy way to vent."

"I'm doing fine, sir, everything is great," AJ answered with annoyance in her voice as Coach stood up and made his way to his chattering team. He began talking about fundamentals and how they are important and that they were going to run a new play. He also mentioned that they will be playing their first away game this Friday.

His voice seemed to fade away as she began having flashbacks about the shooting. Her best friend being shot in the head was the most gruesome, vivid thing she had ever seen. She was dead before she even hit the ground. A tear rolled down her face as she began to think about the blood on her hands and clothes. She was a mix of emotions, scared, sad, and angry. She warned her friend about being involved with gang members, but she didn't listen, and now her young life is over. More tears began rolling down her face but she wiped them quickly because she didn't want anyone to see her crying.

She couldn't help but think about the shooting ruining her reputation. Instead of being praised for saving her school, she was thrown in juvie because the police refused to do a proper investigation. All they saw when they arrived at the scene were two dead students and a teenager with a gun. The cops didn't even think to take her statement, they just assumed she was the shooter. The trial was the worst of it. She was already guilty to the judge until it was proven that the cop that arrested her didn't bother to investigate. It was proven in the trial that Officer McKinley had other arrests that he didn't properly investigate, mainly dealing with African-Americans. He would just arrest everyone directly involved in the crime and continue as if nothing ever happened. Officer Brian McKinley, that is one name she will never forget. She was relieved when the judge said she was innocent and free to go, but after three months of being in juvie, she didn't feel so innocent. She knew she wasn't the same AJ she was before and she wasn't sure if she would ever come back. She felt a dark cloud hanging over her that she could never get rid of.

Coach's whistle brought AJ back to reality. She saw Timo running back and forth still continuing his suicides and push ups. He had one more day to finish and surprisingly it seemed as if he was going to complete his task. She noticed some of the players watching him. It wasn't surprising that some of the other players began to feel for him. She knew that he was a good player, she could spot a good basketball player from a mile way. He just had a horrible attitude. AJ didn't feel sorry for him at all. She was still hoping that he would fail. She couldn't forget him throwing food on her sweater, and calling her names. She already made it her mission to make his life hell if he did make it on the team.

* * *

Practice ended on a high note. Coach named Jason and Kenyon captain and co-captain of the team. Kenyon was excited and invited Jason out to the burger restaurant. Jason decided to go, but he had a lot on his mind. He couldn't help but stare at AJ during practice. It looked as though she was crying. He immediately thought that she found out about her being his little sister, but after realizing that she didn't ask him about it, he figured it was something else. He began to wonder if something really happened to her during the Hercules school shooting. He wanted to invite her for a bite to eat to tell her himself, and to ask her about it but he backed out.

"Kinda quiet J," Kenyon said with concern as they walked to the burger restaurant.

Jason sighed, the only person he could talk to about this was Kenyon. He didn't feel like explaining everything to the entire team right now, but he knew he was going to have to eventually.

"I don't know man." Jason began. "I wanna tell her, but I don't know if I should be the one to tell her, you know? This shit is unreal, dawg. Why the hell did nobody say anything? My pops is such a prick, yo."

Kenyon sighed, He was more confused than Jason. He wanted to help, but he wasn't sure what to do. Kyra told him it was best to stay out of it. He didn't want to argue with her so he agreed, but this was still hard to hear. "I don't even know what to tell you, man, just do what you think is right."

Jason was still confused. He didn't know what was right. AJ could be upset with him knowing before she did. He knows for a fact her mother didn't say anything to her because she hated Frank. His uncle made that perfectly clear.

"So how's Kyra?" Jason asked, changing the subject.

Kenyon looked at him and nodded. Jason knew exactly what he meant.

"You serious?" He asked.

"Yeah." Kenyon nodded. "Just don't say nothin aight, especially Worm. I don't feel like hearin his mouth."

"I gotchu," Jason answered back. "Whachu gonna do, though?"

Kenyon sighed, he had a feeling Kyra was pregnant when Worm mentioned it. He didn't want to believe that he was going to be a father during his senior year of high school. He wasn't ready for fatherhood and he knew for a fact Kyra was not ready for motherhood. They both had plans to go to college and they knew raising a baby would make it extremely difficult. He felt it would be best for both of them if she had an abortion, but he knew deep down Kyra wanted to keep the baby and he couldn't tell her what to do.

"She wanna keep the baby so we gotta go what we gotta do I guess." He shrugged.

"Well I can't do much, but if you need somethin' I gotcha," Jason said.

"Thanks, man." Kenyon nodded. "So if AJ does find out, and she talks to you, what are you gonna do?"

Jason began to feel remorse, but he was also a bit apprehensive. He wasn't sure how to be a big brother. He knew some of his other siblings, but he never knew where they were so he never had a relationship with them. It would be nice to have a relationship with at least one of his siblings since he doesn't have much family on his mother's side.

"I guess just hang around her, you know, be her brother," Jason answered.

* * *

The bus ride to the correctional facility reminded her of how much she hated taking the bus to see her dad. She felt much safer when her mother drove, but she had to work a double shift so she wasn't able to. She sighed as she made her way in. She had to sign the visitor's log and walk through the metal detectors into the visiting room along with the correctional officers who were guiding her and the other families who were visiting their loved ones. It was always uneasy for AJ to be in a correctional facility again. She began having more flashbacks about juvie, particularly being in fights with her cell mates. She was beaten at first, but she eventually learned to defend herself. That is the only thing good thing she could say about being in juvie.

AJ sat patiently at a table waiting for the correctional officer to escort her dad. She didn't feel anything when she saw him. The sadness she did have when he first went in wore off a long time ago.

"Hey, baby girl!" He greeted, he wanted to hug his daughter, but the inmates are not allowed to touch the visitors.

"Hi, dad," AJ said back.

"Awww, I bet your mom gets so mad lookin at you, lookin like a grown woman. I bet you got all the boys chasin you huh?"

AJ smiled, she couldn't help it. Her father's mannerisms always made her laugh. "Maybe, well, I don't know." She couldn't help but think about Damien when he said that. She thought about him a lot and wanted to vent about him as well but, she didn't even bother with it. She knew the subject had to change quickly. She was in no way comfortable talking about boys and sex with her jailed father.

"So you likin Richmond? You play ball there?" Frank asked.

AJ sighed, "Richmond is okay, and they don't have a girls team this year, so mom decided for some odd reason I would like being the manager of the boys team."

Frank sulked, he knew how much AJ loved to play basketball. He knew this was hurting her.

"Damn, that sucks, sweetheart!" He said.

"Yeah, it does, I wanna play, not be some maid for the team, but the new coach is good, though, we won our first game, and he knows a lot."

"That's good sweetheart," Frank said again, "I bet you usin all them smarts to help them win huh? I don't even need to ask about your grades do I?"

AJ nodded, "My grades are fine. Mostly A's, a couple of B's"

"I know, you my smart girl! You get that from your mom, though."

Frank smiled, he was happy to hear that AJ was doing well. He couldn't help but be concerned after the Hercules shooting. He scolds himself every day for not being able to be there for her physically like a real father should. He felt even more guilty because he needed to tell her something. He needed to tell her that his youngest son Jason attends Richmond and they might run into each other, but knowing she is managing the boys basketball team, they may have already. He could tell just by looking at her that she hasn't been the same since the shooting and being arrested. The last thing he wanted to do was make more of a mess in her life, but he knew this needed to be said. He was sure Michelle didn't because she hates him. He had to find a way to ease it into a conversation, this wasn't going to be easy.

"So what's the team like? Them boys better be bein nice." Frank began.

AJ sighed, "Most of them are okay, except this one. He's a complete dick head and always picks on me. Like, when the Coach asked me to help him with a play, he got all mad and said I was being a manager to flirt with guys."

Frank scoffed, "He's a hater baby girl. You're probably better than him."

"I know I am," AJ scoffed, she was getting annoyed at the thought of Timo and didn't want to talk about him any longer.

"There's Kenyon, that's Kyra's boyfriend, he's nice. Then this dude Worm, he's pretty funny." AJ paused for a second. This would be the perfect time to ask about Jason since he had the last name as her father.

"There's this other kid, Jason Lyle. Do you know him? Are you guys related? Is he a cousin or something?"

Frank felt his heart beating faster than ever. He had a flashback of Jason's last visit when he told him about AJ. He was scared that AJ was going to have that same reaction. They do share his hot-headed bloodline after all.

"Um, yeah, I know Jason, he's um…" Frank paused and looked down.

"He's what?" AJ shrugged noticing Frank getting tense.

"He's my son." Frank murmured.

AJ couldn't believe her ears. He could have sworn that Frank said that Jason was his son.

"I couldn't hear you, dad."

Frank cleared his throat, "Jason is my son AJ."

AJ was silent for awhile, she began fidgeting with her fingers. She had to keep her composure. She didn't want to make a scene in the prison. Frank noticed AJ fidgeting with her fingers and looking around with a distraught, confused look on her face. He felt terrible. He knew he should have told them sooner, but it was hard dealing with Michelle after they had broken up and he ended up in prison. Michelle hated him for cheating and she didn't want AJ to see him or know her siblings. He had to beg her to allow AJ to visit him once a month. After realizing his two youngest kids were going to Richmond, he had to make sure they know. He wanted them to know. He wanted them to get to know each other. Some of his older children had followed in his footsteps and ended up in jail themselves and he had no idea where the rest of them were and he was sure none of their mothers wanted anything to do with him as well. Being in jail made Frank realize that he made one too many mistakes with and relationships. He slept around and he had hurt a lot of the women he dated. If he could go back in time and change things, he could. He knew he wouldn't have to see the distraught look on his youngest daughter's face that hurt him so much.

"So he's your son, that would make him my-"

"Yeah, he's your brother," Frank said.

"Wow." AJ scoffed, "I have a brother and God knows how many siblings for almost sixteen years, and you didn't bother to tell me?"

"I'm sorry AJ." Frank began, "I should have told you."

"Um, you think?" AJ raised her voice.

"Your mom didn't want me to tell you and-"

"That's not an excuse!" AJ yelled. She couldn't help but be mad at her mother as well. Why didn't she tell her when she told her that she was going to go to Richmond? She had some explaining to do.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I really am. You have every right to be upset." Frank said with sympathy in his voice.

"I wasn't asking for your permission," AJ said as she stood up and grabbed her bag. She didn't want to hear anything else Frank had to say. She just wanted to leave.

The correctional officer escorted her out of the visitor room as another officer escorted Frank back to his cell. He thought he would feel better by telling her, but seeing her reaction made him feel worse. He didn't want this visit to end this way. He had a small hope that she would stay with him longer, but he knew that she was angry and needed some time to cool off. He knew that AJ and Jason would come together and no matter what happens to him while he's in prison, AJ and Jason would have each other.


	11. Growing Up

**CHAPTER 11: GROWING UP**

Jason arrived home after a fun evening with Bella. He felt a little better. Being with her for awhile made him forget about everything temporarily. He entered the living room to see his uncle Willie watching TV drinking beer, nothing new there.

"Fun night?" He asked his nephew as he took a sip of his beer.

"Yeah, it was cool," Jason answered as he took off his jacket. He was a little thrown off. Willie has been a bit quiet lately. "I'm gonna go to sleep; I got practice in the morning so…"

"Hey Jason, we gotta talk," Willie said interrupting him.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" Jason asked slightly annoyed.

Willie shook his head. "Have a seat."

Jason rolled his eyes as he sat on the couch across from his uncle. He felt a little weird. He never had sit down talks with his uncle before.

"What's up?"

Wille took another sip of his beer. "Well, there's no easy way to say this, but I'm moving back in with your aunt. We're going to work some things out, and she told me she doesn't want you to live with us."

Jason shook his head in disapproval. Now he understood why Willie was being so quiet lately. He was trying to find a way to kick him out. This wouldn't be the first time this has happened.

"So what's her problem with me? Why can't I stay over there?" He asked.

Willie let out a long sigh; he knew that his ex-wife doesn't want Jason living with them because of all the trouble he caused when he was living with them before. He was skipping school, getting into fights, and it was always constant arguments with Jason. Neither one of them wanted to deal with it, and it was hard for him to explain this to Jason.

"I know you are doing much better now, but let's not forget about what happened when you were living with us. There was a lot of trouble."

Jason angrily stood up, " She's still trippin about that? That was years ago, man! This is bullshit! You gonna choose her over me? You know I ain't got nowhere else to go! Where am I gonna live?"

"Calm down," Willie began, "We have to move out next month, so we still have some time to figure out what we're gonna do with you."

"How the hell you gonna tell me to calm down when-" Jason stopped himself. There was no getting to his uncle. He would do anything to be back with his ex-wife. He had a feeling this was going to happen, which is why he didn't want to live with him in the first place. He walked away angrily to his room and slammed the door.

* * *

AJ's long walk from the bus stop to her home was nearly over. She began to look for the gentleman who usually stands outside of her complex with his car, but he wasn't there tonight. She sulked for a bit; she needed to see him desperately because she was running out of supply. She needed a little extra for this evening. She was still in shock about the news she heard about Jason being her brother. She was even more in shock as to why her mother never told her anything about it after all these years. She entered her home and was surprised to see her mother in the kitchen making a meal.

"I thought you had a double tonight," She said as she closed the door and took her jacket off. She made her way into the kitchen and sat at the small dining table.

"My boss cut me some slack tonight. Thank God, because I am tired as hell." Michelle poured a glass of water and gave it to AJ. "How was your visit with your dad?"

"Very informative, I learned something new today. I guess I have a brother, that goes to Richmond, that's on the same basketball team I manage!" AJ yelled as she stood up.

Michelle stopped cooking; she was a bit shocked that her fifteen-year-old daughter was raising her voice to her. She immediately knew what AJ was talking about so she couldn't even discipline her for it. She turned to see AJ. It was hard to look at her; she was so angry.

"So I take it Frank told you," She said calmly.

"Yeah," AJ answered.

Michelle was silent; she began cursing herself for not listening to Monica. She still had bitterness about Frank having children with other women. Even though their relationship ended a long time ago, she hated Frank, and she was still hurt. She hated him even more for opening his mouth and telling AJ. She didn't want AJ to know any of his other children. It was just like Frank to come into someone's life and mess it up. This is why she kept everything from AJ, especially with everything she has been dealing with lately. She wanted to protect her only baby from any more hurt and pain, but seeing the hurt on AJ's face indicated that she failed. It was hard for her to explain everything that happened with Frank. She didn't want to tell AJ that she was still hurt by everything that he had done. AJ is so young and naive at times; it would be hard for her to understand.

"You don't feel compelled to explain anything?" AJ darted, annoyed with her mom's silence.

Michelle sighed, she didn't want to have this conversation with AJ right this second, but she had no choice at this point. She sat down and AJ sat back in her seat as well.

"I'm sorry that I did not tell you AJ; I am. I'm sorry you had to find out like this. There's a lot about your father and me that you don't know about, and I didn't want to tell you."

"Like what?" AJ darted angrily.

"Your father cheated on me multiple times during our relationship. Hell, he even cheated on his other girlfriends before me. I was hurt, and I didn't want you to be hurt too. I know you love your father, but he's not a good guy. If I had my way, you wouldn't be visiting him at all. I knew of his son, and I knew he went to Richmond, and I didn't tell you because honestly I just didn't want you to know. I don't want you to be around him or any of your other brothers and sisters.." Michelle tried to hold back her tears, but AJ didn't seem to be sympathetic.

"So you _were_ hurt, mom? Or are you _still_ hurt? You kept me from my family because you're still upset at him for cheating? You cheat _me_ away from my family because _you're_ still angry?"

Michelle sighed, she was surprised at her daughter's response because it was entirely true. She was still upset at Frank for all of the things he has done, and she hated to admit that she was using AJ as a pawn to get to him. She never felt more guilty in her life. Not only because she held this secret for so long but for not paying attention to AJ as much as she should. AJ was growing up; she will be sixteen in a few weeks. She was a young woman. She wasn't a little girl anymore, and she wasn't able to keep certain things from her like she used to. Another thing that Michelle has been denying. She should have noticed this with the belly ring and the nose ring.

She was still silent, shocked of what AJ said. She didn't think AJ would be able to comprehend love and heartbreak.

"Look, I know you're angry, and I get that. All I can say is that I'm sorry."

AJ shook her head in disapproval and folded her arms. She was too angry to talk to her mother right now.

"You should have told me," She said as she walked away to her room and slammed the door.

Michelle sighed once again. She knew AJ would be cold to her for awhile, and she couldn't control that. She felt like she let AJ down completely as a mother, and their bond would never be the same again. She continued making her meal and grabbed the phone to call her sister.

* * *

It was late, and it was getting cold. Timo wanted to go home and get some rest before tomorrow's practice, but Renny was his ride. He had some business to take care of so he had to wait for him. He was sitting on Renny's car, making his deals getting a little extra money. He tried calling Chanel to see if she was interested in accompanying him tonight, but she wasn't answering her phone. He wasn't surprised at all; she was most likely entertaining another guy. He began questioning his sanity wondering why he continues to bother with her. She was always playing games with him, hoping from one guy to the next without any remorse for breaking anyone's heart. It was weird to him because anytime she saw him with another woman, she would get extremely jealous and begin wanting him back. Timo was not one to show any emotions, but he was getting tired of the games Chanel was playing. He wouldn't admit this to anyone, but it would be nice to be with a girl who cared about him. Since none of the other females at his school like him, due to his reputation for being tough, he figured Chanel was the best he could get.

Renny finally came out of the apartment building, with a bundle of cash. He seemed to be pleased with his profit.

"You good little cousin?" Renny asked as they both got in the car and Renny began to drive.

"I'm good," Timo answered with no emotion not wanting to talk about Chanel.

"You good? For real?" Renny asked again. He always knew when Timo was stressed.

"I'm good," Timo repeated with a little annoyance in his voice this time.

"You still worryin' about that girl? I told you not to get involved with her like that." Renny said knowing exactly what was up. He never liked Chanel. She had a serious reputation for being extra friendly with guys. He heard a few rumors that she even spent time with older men he knew. He would never want his cousin to be with a girl like that.

"You don't need to be messin' with that girl, yo. You need a nice girl. Someone who ain't a ho. I know someone, she goes to Richmond. She's a cutie. She has long curly hair; she's nice. I don't know her name though she just buys from me."

Timo sighed, there was only girl he knew of that had long curly hair was AJ. He was surprised to hear that she bought weed from Renny. She seemed like she was the good girl type except her smart mouth.

"Her name's AJ," Timo said as he rolled his eyes. "The one with the mouth."

Renny laughed, "Oh yeah? The mouth? You hit that already?"

"No idiot," Timo answered, not finding Renny's humor entertaining. "The smart mouth, the one always talkin shit. She thinks she smart or some shit!"

Renny laughed, "She can't be that bad. She's cool with me."

"Yeah whatever," Timo answered back.

"I'm just sayin, man. She's a good look."

"Yo, shut up, man!" Timo raised his voice.

Renny laughed a little bit. "I'm just sayin, I know you been talkin about makin a change and all, but you can't do that if you keep messin with these hoes. You gotta be careful who you have around you, man."

"Yeah, I know," Timo said giving Renny an evil glare. He knew that Renny did have a point. He wanted to make a change in his life which is why he wants to get back on the team. Hanging out with certain people would derail him from what he wanted to do. Renny was the only family he had left, but he didn't want to go though his whole life selling drugs. He was scared to tell Renny that he wanted to get back on the basketball team and that he didn't want to sell drugs anymore. He was relieved when he finally worked up the courage told Renny. He was understanding, but now he was annoyed with him talking about AJ. He did agree with Renny, she was cute, but he pushed those thoughts immediately out of his head. Even if he did want her, she wouldn't go for him anyway. He remained silent as Renny continued to drive. He had a lot on his mind, and he didn't feel like talking about it, not even to the only person he could trust.


	12. What Do We Do Now?

**Chapter 12: What Do We Do Now?**

It was a cold Friday morning. There was no morning practice because the first away game is tomorrow and Coach didn't want to overwork the team. AJ and Kyra walked to school together and had arrived a few minutes before the bell rang. During the walk, AJ was venting to Kyra about Jason being her brother and Michelle hiding it for all these years. She knew that AJ was upset with her mother because she overheard the conversation her mother was having on the phone. Kyra began to feel guilty because she knew as well, but her mother Monica told her not to say anything. She was a bit frustrated that her Aunt Michelle wanted her and Monica to keep it a secret, but she felt better now that it is out and she doesn't have to worry about it anymore.

"Then, she tells me that she doesn't want me around Jason," AJ continued her venting. "She says he's bad news and that she didn't tell me because she didn't want me to know. Who does that?"

Kyra sighed, she didn't know what to say to her younger cousin. It was a double-edged sword for AJ. She would either go against her mother's wishes or not be able to get to know the other side of her family. She was silent, she honestly didn't have an answer. She was also thinking about her pregnancy and coming to terms with Kenyon about keeping the baby.

"Are you okay?" AJ asked with concern. "You're never this quiet."

"Yeah, I'm cool," Kyra answered. "Just tired and I got this history test first thing in the damn morning." She wanted to tell AJ that she was pregnant, but it wasn't the right time. AJ had a lot on her mind. She saw Kenyon hanging out with Worm at his locker. She didn't want to abandon her distressed cousin, but she needed to talk to him privately.

"I gotta talk to Kenyon about something, but I'll stay over tonight," She said as she hugged AJ. "We haven't had a sleepover in a long time."

"Cool, my mom's working all night," AJ answered.

"Everything is gonna be fine, ok?" Kyra said trying to reassure her.

"I guess," AJ rolled her eyes as she watched Kyra make her way to Kenyon. She watched them as they hugged and kissed. She didn't want to admit it but she hoped one day she would have a strong relationship like Kenyon and Kyra's. She began to think about Damien. He was really sweet, but maybe too sweet. She wasn't sure if he would be able to deal with the fact that she was arrested and spent a few months in juvie, even if it was something she didn't even do. She figured he would run like everyone at Hercules did. Not only did she lose all of her closest friends, her reputation was ruined. She would never be able to set foot in that school ever again.

She began having vivid flashbacks of the shooting. The crimson of the blood stained her best friend's shirt as she fell to the ground with a bullet wound in her chest. The loud beating of her heart when she grabbed the shooter's gun, knowing that her life was at stake, and the blank look in his eyes when the bullet hit him and he fell to the ground. It was one thing to hear gunshots outside her home and hear about the murder through nosey neighbors, but it was completely different witnessing death with her own two eyes.

The loud ringing of the tardy bell snapped AJ out of her trance. She rushed to her science class and quickly made her way to her seat.

"Hey, AJ," Damien greeted as she took off her jacket and backpack and sat down.

"Hey," She greeted back.

"Did you read the chapter?" Damien asked.

"Yeah, it wasn't too grueling," AJ answered back.

"Hey, um AJ, I'm really sorry, but I can't go out tonight."

AJ turned to him as Mr. Gessick began his lecture for the day. "What?"

"Tonight," Damien repeated, "I can't go. My dad is making me take another day at the youth center I really don't want to do it, but I have to."

AJ's eyes widened as the began to remember the date her and Damien setup yesterday. She couldn't help but feel as though he was rejecting her. She began to wonder if Coach told Damien about her involvement in the Hercules shooting, or maybe he was watching the news special that was on a few nights ago. She took a second to calm down. Maybe she was being a bit paranoid. He does seem sincerely apologetic.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She began. "I didn't forget. I just have a lot going on with my family, a lot of craziness going on. We can go out another time."

"Is everything ok?" Damien asked.

AJ let out a long sigh, "It's just best if I don't talk about it."

Damien nodded and turned his attention to Mr. Gessick. He felt bad for canceling their date, but he had to follow his father's rules or else he would be kicked off the basketball team and sent back to St. Francis. He didn't want to risk having any disciplinary issues with his father. Things have been tense for him ever since he made the transfer to Richmond without his father's permission. He was also curious to what was going on with AJ. She looked so sad. Her eyes were puffy as if she was crying all night.

"Ok class, we're going to begin our first group project. You will be working in twos. I will hand the syllabus to one of you. Find your partner and make your way over to the science area and begin. You have all period. You guys will have to work together for a couple of weeks so get to know each other."

Mr. Gessick made his way to Damien and AJ but only handed a syllabus to Damien.

"I gotta go find my partner, Chanel Alexander," Damien said as he read his paper. "I'll see you at practice."

"See ya," AJ answered back. She watched Damien walk to a really pretty girl. AJ recognized her, she is one of the cheerleaders. AJ sulked as she watched Damien talk with this Chanel girl. She was smiling and batting her eyes, and of course, he was smiling back. It was always the pretty cheerleaders who got the attention of every guy in school. It was no different when she went to Hercules.

"What up AJ?"

She turned around to see a really tall muscular guy with cornrows. She didn't know who he was, and she was confused as to how he knew her. "Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

"I'm Shay," He introduced himself.

AJ shrugged, "I guess you're my partner then." The two of them sat at the one of the other available desks and AJ began gathering materials to begin their projects.

"You the manager for the basketball team?" Shay asked.

"Yeah," AJ nodded, getting quickly annoyed with Shay asking a million questions.

"I used to be on the team, but I wasn't about to deal w that new coach and all his bullshit rules," Shay said.

AJ sighed, the last thing she wanted to do was listen to this idiot talk about quitting the team. She would rather him not talk at all. She couldn't help but notice him staring at Chanel. This girl sure does have a way with the boys. AJ would never admit it to anyone but she began wishing she had that kind of power. It would be nice to have a relationship that actually lasted more than a month. She began to think about her last boyfriend, everything was going well, but AJ was always shy when it came to being intimate. It didn't help that Michelle was overprotective and always brushed her off when she wanted to talk about boys. They never had the infamous talk that most parents have with their teenagers. Michelle doesn't want AJ to make the same mistakes she did with men when she was in high school.

AJ began working on the project. She was doing it alone because Shay was staring hard at Chanel.

"You know her?" AJ asked.

"Yeah, we hangin out," Shay said while smiling.

AJ let out a long sigh. This was going to be a very long morning.

* * *

Michelle was finally relieved to take a break. She was very unhappy about working another double, but she wanted to make as much money as she can because AJ's birthday is coming up and she wanted to be able to pay the bills and get her a gift. She definitely owes her for not telling her about Jason and trying to keep her away from her family for so long. AJ said not one word to her this morning and Michelle was not used to that. She wasn't sure how to go about it. She didn't want her only child hating her forever.

She made her way to the break room and took her leftover dinner out of the refrigerator. She put it in the microwave for a minute and waited for it to finish. That was the only thing she could watch since the TV was broken. She sat down and began eating. Her aching feet immediately felt relief. She was going to have to soak them in Epsom salt when she got home. The break room was empty and silent. Michelle felt extremely relaxed. It was nice to get away from the chaos even for a short hour.

She continued eating until one of the other nurses entered the break room.

"Michelle, there's someone here to see you."

Michelle quickly covered her lunch dish and placed it back into the refrigerator. Thinking it was AJ in trouble, she rushed to the lobby. She was disappointed when she saw Willie standing there. He was the last person she wanted to see.

"Hi Michelle," He greeted.

Michelle sighed and folded her arms. "Coming to give me shit too?"

Willie lowered his head. The phone call he received from his jailed brother was a cause for concern for both Jason and AJ.

"Frank told me what happened. How is AJ? Is she ok?"

"Will, quit acting like you care and tell me what you want. I have to get back to work," Michelle darted.

"Look, She is my niece okay? I do care whether you believe it or not. I know you have something against my brother. He did you wrong, I get that, but you keep taking it out on everyone else, including AJ."

Michelle was now angry. It was time to end this conversation before she says something she'll regret.

"Will, I have to get back to work, bye."

"Wait, Michelle we need to talk, this is important." Willie stopped her.

"Well say it then," Michelle raised her voice.

"I'm moving back in with my ex-wife soon," Willie said.

Michelle shrugged, "Ok so what?"

Willie sighed, he was sure Michelle would say no to this favor, but he had to try anyway. Even though Jason wasn't able to live with him anymore. He still wanted to make sure Jason had a roof over his head.

"I need you to take Jason in."

Michelle raised and eyebrow and folded her arms, "Into where?"

"I think it would be best if he lived with you and AJ. My ex-wife doesn't want him living with us because of things that happened before and I don't want him to miss his senior year. Frank would want them to be together it would make him really happy."

Michelle couldn't believe her ears. Having the son of her ex-fiance living with her and her daughter was not pleasing to her. She was extremely frustrated. It seemed like everything she was doing to AJ away from the Lyles was being negated. If only Frank kept his mouth shut. Even in jail, he still manages to make her life miserable.

"You are really something else," Michelle began. "You're dropping your brother's son for some bitch, and you have the nerve to talk about me?"

"This is not about her," Wille said.

"Clearly it is," Michelle scoffed.

"Jason has been trouble ever since he moved with me. I think it will do him some good if he stayed with you. You can raise him to be a great man, the way you raised AJ to be a wonderful young woman."

"I'd give you hell too if you kept dumping me for some chick," Michelle snapped. As much as she hated Frank, she began to feel for Jason. It was clear that he never had a stable home or a family that actually gave a damn about him. She could understand why he was acting out. Maybe Jason living with them isn't a bad idea. It would be nice if she had someone to be with AJ when she was at work overnight. AJ would probably be happy for having Jason around all the time. This would definitely be a way to make up for the torment she put her through. Michelle let out a long sigh, she was definitely swallowing her pride with this favor.

"Get me the necessary forms, and I'll take it up with social services, then we'll work everything out. I'm only doing this because I love my daughter and that _is_ her brother. I am in no way doing this to make _your_ life easier. I don't get how you abandon your responsibilities to be with some woman, but that's your life."

"I really do appreciate it, Michelle," Wille said ignoring Michelle's cheap shots. "I'll let you get back to work. I'll give you a call when I get everything."

"You do that," Michelle said as she walked away.

* * *

It was lunchtime, AJ made her way through the crowd and found a table and sat alone. She had a lot on her mind and she didn't mind being by herself. She opened her lunchbox and brought out a small bowl of leftover salmon salad from last night. She pulled the lid off and quickly began eating. This was one of her favorite things to eat. Seafood was her all time favorite. She continued enjoying her meal for a good five minutes until she heard a male voice behind her.

"Hey AJ."

She turned around and immediately grew nervous when she saw Jason. She was secretly trying to avoid him because she honestly didn't know what to say to him. She wasn't sure if he knew and if he would believe her.

Jason was equally nervous, this is one of the hardest things he has ever had to do. The pep talk from Kyra earlier in Geometry definitely helped.

"Can I sit here?" He asked.

"Sure," AJ answered while still chewing her food.

Jason put his tray on the table and sat next to AJ. He couldn't help but stare at her. His heart melted a little when he noticed they had some of the same features. He began to wonder if she had Frank's mannerisms as well. He felt strange knowing that he has a little sister. Ever since he found out about AJ he has been thinking about her a lot. He wanted to bond with her the way brothers and sisters are supposed to. He wasn't sure how to go about it

"So, umm, I guess you're my brother, right? We have the same dad?"

Jason sighed, AJ wasted no time getting to the point. That was a relief. He was still trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

"Yeah," He answered. "Frank told me when I went to see him."

AJ nodded, "He told me too. I told my mom about it. I'm kinda mad at her right now. I'm mad at both of them. Why did they wait so long to tell us?"

Jason shook his head. That was a question he wanted to be answered as well.

AJ continued eating and Jason began eating his meal as well. It was awkwardly silent between them. Jason wanted to talk, but he was overthinking everything to the point where he had no words.

"So, what do we do now?" AJ asked. "How do we go about everything?"

Jason sighed, "I mean, I wanna hang out, besides school and stuff if you want, you know."

"Yeah, I would too." AJ said back. She knew she was going against her mother's wishes but she didn't care. She wanted to get to know her brother and her mom was going to have to accept it.

"Wanna try this salmon salad?" She asked as she lightly pushed her bowl in front of him.

"Yeah, I'll take some," Jason answered as he took a small scoop and ate it. "It's good."

"My mom made it last night," AJ said as she continued eating. "Where's Worm and them?"

"Worm's talking to this chick and I don't know where Kenyon and Kyra are." Jason answered.

"Probably making out somewhere," AJ chuckled.

"Probably," Jason said back. "Why you sittin here by yourself?"

AJ sighed, she had a list of reasons, but she didn't feel like explaining them. Interacting with her long lost brother for the first time is already awkward.

"I just wanted to be by myself. I got a lot on my mind."

"Yeah, I feel you," Jason began. "Wanna talk about it?"

AJ shook her head. She didn't want to ruin this moment talking about the shooting replaying in her head to the point where she can't even sleep at night, Damien cancelling their date, and how mad she is at her mother for not telling her the truth. She knew Jason meant well but now was not the time.

"Well, you can talk to me if you want," Jason said.

"Thanks," AJ smiled.

Jason smiled back and continued enjoying lunch with his sister. He had mixed emotions. He was relieved that he and AJ were talking, but he also felt strange that he now had a younger sister to look out for. All of his life he only had to worry about himself, this would be a big change for him, but it was worth it. AJ is the only family that he had left. He was going to make damn sure he didn't lose another sibling.


	13. We're A Team

**CHAPTER 13: "WE'RE A TEAM."**

As usual, AJ was the first to arrive at the gym to set up for practice. She still had a lot on her mind. She still felt weird about her interaction with Jason at lunch today, but she was trying to keep a positive attitude. _Give it some time._ She thought to herself as she continued setting up for practice. The other players continued to arrive and immediately began their fifty free throws. It was a little strange to see them so focused. Usually, they would goof around and talk especially Worm. She rolled her eyes at the sight of Timo making his way in the gym. He arrived early because he wanted to finish his suicides and push-ups. This was his last day of his punishment. He had to finish or else he was not able to be back on the team. She knew he wasn't going to finish, but she wanted to be the first one to laugh if he didn't. She was still upset about the fight at the season opener game and throwing food on her on her first day of school.

Jason was the last to arrive. He was rushing because he didn't want to be the reason why the team had to do ten suicides and two hundred push ups. The team wouldn't let him hear the end of it. Especially because he is one of the team captains.

"Hey," He greeted AJ while looking around, "Coach ain't here yet is he?"

"Nope, you're good," AJ answered back as she too looked around. "Are you okay though? I know it was a little weird today."

"Yeah, I'm cool," Jason answered back.

AJ took another look at him. He didn't look as cool as he said he was. His eyes were a little red as if he were tired, but she knew something else was going on.

"Are you sure?" She asked him, hoping he would open up a bit.

Jason sighed, he didn't want to burden AJ with his problems. He didn't even want to tell AJ, to begin with, but at the same time, this is his sister. He couldn't help but vent his frustration to the only family he has that actually cares for him.

"Just going through some shit with Uncle Will," Jason finally answered.

"Who's that?" AJ asked never knowing that name ever in her life.

"Dad's brother," Jason answered. " I don't think you know him. I been livin with him since dad went away, but I don't know how long that's gonna last."

AJ's eyes widened, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You don't have a place to live?" She finally asked after a long pause.

Coach finally made his way to the gym and blew his whistle signaling that practice has begun. Jason was relieved, he didn't want to explain this complicated situation much longer. He was already embarrassed about it.

"I gotta go," Jason said to AJ.

AJ nodded as she watched Jason make his way to the rest of the team. Tomorrow was the away game so she knew he had to focus. She too was trying her best to watch them practice, but she still couldn't help but be upset that Jason was going to be homeless. She thought about asking her mother to let him live with them. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was worth a shot. Her mom definitely owes her for not telling the truth about her family. She sat down on the bleachers and began to draw in her notebook trying her best to clear her mind. She felt as though her head was going to explode with everything that has been going on lately. She was happy about Kyra coming over, she needed to vent to someone.

* * *

Coach blew his final whistle ending practice after two hours. Timo was relieved, he was extremely exhausted.

"Okay guys, bring it in!" Coach yelled.

The team immediately stopped what they were doing to line up as Coach told.

"We have a game tomorrow so get plenty of rest tonight, the bus will leave at six so we all need to be here at five-thirty sharp!"

AJ continued to tally Timo's suicides and push ups, making sure she had the correct number. Timo's heavy breathing made it hard to do so. She was impressed at how many he actually did. If he were given one more day, he would have been able to finish. She noticed the team taking glances at him, also showing concern.

"Ms. Green." Coach called for AJ with the results. She immediately handed them to him, and Coach turned his attention to Timo.

"Mr. Cruz, I am impressed with what you have done, but you came up short. You owe me eighty suicides and five hundred push-ups. Please, leave my gym."

Timo hung his head in disappointment. The rest of the team groaned and whispered as Coach handed AJ back the clipboard.

AJ sulked a bit as well, even though he was an ass, she could tell he was a good player, and he really wanted to play. As much as she didn't want to go against Coach's rules. It was unfair that he ran so much for nothing. She began to wonder what he did so bad to be kicked off the team and receive such a tedious punishment upon his return.

"Gentlemen," Coach said as he began to make his exit.

"I'll do push-ups for him!" Jason yelled.

Coach stopped as he turned around to Jason. It was pleasing to know one of his team captains stepped up.

"You said we're a team," Jason began. "One person struggles, we all struggle. One person triumphs, we all triumph, right?"

Coach smiled a little bit. Jason was right, they are in fact, one team. They all needed to work together if they were going to win. It was good to see that some of his lessons were getting through to them.

Jason tossed his ball to Timo, who caught it, and began doing push-ups.

"I'll do some," Kenyon said after him. "I'll run suicides too."

He began doing push ups as well and seconds later Damien and Junior began to run sprints.

Coach was pleased with his son and his excellent leadership skills. He no longer regrets letting him transfer to Richmond.

The rest of the team began to do suicides and push ups, except for Worm who was standing with his arms crossed.

"I'll do some too." He shrugged, finally giving in.

AJ watched a very tired Timo continue his suicides. She began to feel for him. She cursed herself for wanting to throw it in his face for not being able to finish.

"Keep count Ms. Green," Coach's voice interrupted her trance as he tossed her the ball. "Call me when they're done."

AJ caught the ball with her free hand and placed it on the ground and continued watching the players run up and down the court. She couldn't help but wish she was them, playing her favorite game in the world.

"I really wish there was a girls team," AJ said to herself letting out a long sigh.

* * *

Practice was extended for another hour and a half. Once AJ finally called for Coach to come back, he reminded them again of the bus times, gave Timo a contract to sign and dismissed them. The team wasted no time rushing to the cooler to get a nice cold drink. AJ made sure she put enough ice in it.

She noticed that Timo sat on the bleachers catching his breath. He was clearly too tired to make it to the cooler. She took a bottle of water she kept for herself while she had filled the cooler earlier, and a couple of ice packs and a small towel made her way to him. Kenyon kept an eye on them, praying that they weren't going to kill each other like the last time. Jason kept an eye on them for other reasons.

"Hey," AJ said to Timo.

He immediately looked up at her, with sweat dripping all over his slightly red face. He couldn't help but stare for a few seconds. There was something about her that began to make him tick a little. He definitely regretted calling her fat. Her curves were in all the right places. She was cute, not in an attention seeking way like Chanel. He was thrown a bit because she was being nice to him. He began to feel bad for the fight at the game and at lunch the other day. He wasn't sure if apologizing was enough. AJ definitely has an attitude problem.

She handed him the towel and the bottle of water.

"You need it more, the guys were gonna hog it all."

Timo wasted no time taking a few sips from the bottle, although he was still catching his breath, he was beginning to feel better.

"You're gonna need these too," AJ said to him as she handed him the ice packs. "You're gonna be sore no matter what, but they'll help."

Timo took the ice packs, but he was still gulping his water. He wanted to thank AJ, but he was still trying to catch his breath.

AJ made her way back to the team. She didn't want to talk to him any more than she needed to. She was sure once he got back to normal he was still going to be an ass.

"You cool?" Jason asked, concerned about his sister.

"Yeah," AJ answered back as she began picking up the basketballs and placing them on the rack. She even pumped a few of them. The rest of the team began to converse with each other for a bit and making their way to the lockers for a shower.

"You should come over tonight." She said to Jason.

Jason sighed, it was nice of AJ to offer but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea. He began to think about Frank's ex-fiance Michelle. He didn't want to deal with her. He was always getting kicked out of another place, he didn't want to get kicked out of another.

"Look, my mom is working all night and she won't be home," AJ said as if she were reading Jason's mind.

"I don't know," Jason began.

"Kyra is coming and I think Kenyon is too, we're having pizza. Please, come over." AJ pleaded.

"You ain't gotta do this AJ," Jason said back.

She reached into her backpack and tore a piece of paper from her notebook and a pen. She wrote down her address and phone number.

"Please, come by." AJ pleaded again.

Jason sighed once again, trying to hold back in a smile. He was trying his hardest not to say yes. His little sister was definitely quite the charmer like is. He didn't want AJ going out of her way for him, but he was glad she did.

"Aight, I'll come by." He finally answered.

AJ smiled, "Good."

Jason folded the small paper and put it in his pocket and he made his way to the locker room with the rest of the team. He was looking forward to hanging out with AJ. It would be nice to get away from Uncle Willie and be with someone who actually wants him around.


	14. Gang Related

**Chapter 14: Gang Related**

Tonight was colder than usual, but that didn't phase Timo. He spent another night waiting for Renny to deal with his clientele and making deals of his own. He wasn't sure how much longer he was able to do this. He knew if Coach found out about him selling drugs, he would once again be kicked off and this time, wouldn't be given another chance to return. He conflicted, this is his only way of having any money. He lived with Renny, but he still needed to make money.

He hasn't heard from Chanel in a few days, and that was also crossing his mind. He knew she was entertaining another guy. He heard a few rumors that she was spending time with someone who quit the basketball team when Coach Carter took over, which means it was either one of the two guys or both. He wasn't sure how he felt about her at this point. He was getting annoyed with her hooking up with his friends and teammates, then claiming that she loved him. She was becoming less attractive to him. He really couldn't see himself being in a relationship with someone like her.

His thoughts shifted when he was approached by a couple of friends of his he hasn't seen in awhile. He kept his distance from them once he started playing basketball because of their affiliation with one of the most notorious gangs in the area. He knew he couldn't be around them because of the school's zero tolerance policy on gangs. At times he missed being around them, but he knew separating from them is for the best.

"Sup Timo," The one nicknamed 'Capone' greeted him. "Where you been at?"

"Yeah, ain't seen ya in awhile," The one nicknamed 'Ant' said after him.

"Oh you know, chillin," Timo answered back knowing they wanted something.

"Oh yeah? How Renny doin?" Capone asked.

"He good," Timo answered back. "He around here somewhere."

"Ok, that's good, that's good! Capone said with a sly smile. "Yo bro I got some business for you, though. You can make mad money, more than we ever made, you down?"

Timo shook his head. There was no way he was going to get involved. The last thing he needed was to be in trouble and get sent to juvie. He has been given a second chance to be on the basketball team, and he didn't want to risk losing that.

"I'm good," Timo answered.

"Come on man," Ant began. "You not gonna get caught! We got this cop on payroll now. He work wit us for a fee yo! He gonna make sure we right! We got this!"

Timo sighed and shook his head once more. As tempting it may be, he just couldn't bring himself to do it; especially if cops are involved. Whether they were taking money on the side to keep quiet or not, a cop being in the mix was a bad idea.

"I'm good," He said once again.

Capone shook his head. He wasn't going to let Timo go that easy.

"Come on bro, you the only one that's good with a gun. You remember all those times I rode with you? I'm going through some bullshit right now; I need you, bro!"

Timo sighed, he forgot about Capone losing his girlfriend in the school shooting at Hercules. His thoughts shifted to AJ for a second. He wondered if she knew more about the shooting than she is letting on. Anytime the shooting was mentioned, she had a slightly panicked look on her face. He couldn't blame her for not wanting to talk about it. AJ is a bookworm, she is not the type to involve herself with any gang members.

"Nah, I'm good," Timo answered once again hoping Capone would get it this time. He heard a loud whistle and quickly turned around to see Renny motioning to him that it was time to go. Timo nodded, letting him know that he was on his way.

"Aight, I'll check ya'll," Timo said to them.

"Aight, stay up," Capone told him as he and Ant walked away, He was a bit relieved, he didn't want to be around them.

He made his way to Renny who was still waiting for him.

"What was all that about?" He asked, recognizing who Timo was talking to.

"Capone and Ant, wanting me to do some stuff. I ain't wit it, though," Timo answered.

"Them broke asses always up to some bullshit," Renny said with annoyance.

"Yeah," Timo said as he got in Renny's car. He felt a bit uneasy seeing Capone and Ant. He was sure Capone is looking to get revenge for what happened to his girlfriend during the shooting.

* * *

For the first time in a while, AJ was enjoying herself. Having pizza with Jason, Kyra, Kenyon and Worm lifted her spirits. Smoking a little weed before everyone came over helped ease her nervousness. Kyra invited her friend Dominique, and Jason invited Bella, so it was a full house. It was funny watching Worm making passes at Dominique because she rejected him every time.

"Shut up!" Worm darted, slightly embarrassed at everyone laughing at him. "It's aight; I got other bitches I can call!"

Dominique scoffed, "That's exactly why I'm not foolin with you! You disrespectful as hell! You'll do anything with legs!"

"Hey I make it known, I'm only after the kitty cat! Don't need nothin else! It ain't my fault they fall in love with me after that!" Worm laughed. The boys laughed and high-fived each other. Bella rolled her eyes at Jason who was laughing along with Kenyon and Worm. Kyra smacked Kenyon on the back of his head. "Don't co-sign on his bullshit! That aint funny!"

"He was just playin, relax," Kenyon said back to her.

"He must be," AJ chimed in with a chuckle. "If they fall in love with you like you say, how come you're by yourself right now? Jason has his girl; Kenyon had his. So where's yours? Where are all these women that 'fall in love with you'?"

"Oh shit!" Jason laughed as they high fived. Everyone else couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey! Just cuz they fall in love with me don't mean I want 'em. These chickenheads be doin' anything to keep me around it's crazy! One girl I was messin with tried tellin me she was pregnant! I'm like, girl we used a condom, get outta here!"

Keyon and Kyra looked at each other. Kyra had forgotten that she was pregnant until Worm said something. She began to think about all of the arguments she and Kenyon have been having lately about keeping the baby. She couldn't understand why Kenyon wouldn't want her to have his child. He tells her constantly that he loves her and intends to be with her forever, so why not start a family now? They can still be parents and go to college. So many young people have done it. She sulked for a minute, but she held it together. She didn't want to ruin a good time with her younger cousin. As much as she didn't want to go against her mom or her Aunt Michelle, it was nice to see her and Jason having a good time together. Maybe Jason being around is what AJ needs.

"I don't understand who would want to get pregnant by you!" Dominique said while laughing.

"I aint talkin to you no more, shut up!" Worm jokingly said to her. "These girls do the most for me! They do the most just to get some dick!"

AJ scrunched her face and chuckled a little bit. She didn't want to agree with Worm, but he is right. She has seen so many girls at Hercules endure so much just to be with a guy who cares nothing for them or only wants sex. She couldn't even count the fights she saw at Hercules between two girls fighting over a useless guy. She began to think about her only friend from Hercules Kamiyah. Kamiyah changed for the worse at the beginning of the school year. She used to have her head in books and did well in school just like AJ, but after awhile she became boy crazy to the point where she dated gang members. Michelle banned her from hanging out with Kamiyah after she lied to her mother about sleeping over at AJ's but she was out with her gang member boyfriend. When Kamiyah's mom found out, she blamed Michelle and the two of them had a screaming match in front of the school. The two of them still talked at school. After the stories Kamiyah told her about her recent boyfriend, AJ told her not to get involved with him, but she wouldn't listen. Unfortunately, it cost her her life.

"And you ain't got a dude next to you," Worm continued his crazy antics. "Where's your man at?"

AJ sighed and picked up another slice of pizza and began eating. She was extremely hungry. "I don't have one."

Worm smirked, "Yeah, right AJ, don't be actin all innocent."

"What the hell are you talking about?" AJ asked while chewing.

"You got someone you wanna give it to. I can see it!"

Jason gave Worm a threatening look. He wasn't sure if Worm was hitting on AJ, but if he needed to knock it off real quick. He was uneasy listening to Worm talking to AJ about sex.

"Why do you always have to be so gross?" Kyra sneered.

"I'm just sayin; every girl got a little freak in em! I _know_ she got someone she would let hit. I _know_ it."

AJ felt a little uncomfortable talking about sex, especially with Worm being a bit eccentric, but she didn't want anyone to see her sweat. She knew she was the only one in the room who hasn't had sex. Kyra is the only one who knows because of the talks they have, but she could never let any of the guys find out especially Worm. He will tease her forever for it. AJ felt a bit tense, now would be a good time to roll another joint and smoke, but she couldn't tonight because Kyra is staying over. This is going to be tough. AJ has been smoking weed regularly now to calm herself down; especially when she had flashbacks about the shooting. The medication her doctor prescribed to her were not doing her any justice.

"Not every girl is a ho who just gives it up to any guy that calls her cute," She said while eating her slice of pizza.

"Exactly," Kenyon agreed. "Not all girls are like that. Some of them actually want to do something with their lives other than being a young mom, maybe go to college, get a career."

Kyra sighed in annoyance and rolled her eyes at Kenyon. She knew that remark was meant for her.

"Mmhmm," Worm said with a chuckle as he took another slice of pizza and directed his attention back to AJ. "All I'm saying is that _you_ got someone you would let hit, every girl does."

"Worm, shut up!" Jason said to worm angrily. This conversation was fun until Worm started teasing AJ. It was awkward for him to talk about sex now with a little sister around. He enjoyed having sex with Bella and other girls, when he wanted to cheat, but he would not want any guys taking advantage of AJ. If any guy did, they were sure to catch a beatdown.

AJ was also annoyed with Worm, why was he so worried about her sex life? It was evident why Worm didn't have much luck with girls, other than the easy ones.

"Can we just change the subject, please."

"Exactly," Kyra said after AJ. She noticed the uncomfortable look on her younger cousin's face. She felt bad that Worm ambushed. She was hoping that AJ wouldn't give into any peer pressure to have sex before she felt ready like she did when she was a sophomore. Especially, after going through a major tragedy. Many people change for the worst after they experience something as horrible as a school shooting. The last thing Kyra would want is for AJ to be in her situation, pregnant and most likely to be left alone to raise her child. Kyra knew she needed to talk to AJ, but she decided to wait until everyone left. Maybe telling her about her pregnancy can keep AJ on the right direction.


End file.
